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Parents Zone

You can help at home by talking about what the family can do to stay healthy, and reminding them of the simple Sneezesafe® 4 Step Process: Catch It! Bin It! Wash It! Avoid it!

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10 Tips with Sneezesafe®

1
Cold OR Flu?

Flu (or influenza) is caused by a different group of viruses to colds. The symptoms are usually more severe and it can take much longer to recover.

2
What's Normal?

*Kids generally get 5-10 colds per year

*Adults generally get 2-4 colds per year

*Adults have been exposed to many cold viruses in their lifetime, so their immune system tend to be more resistant.

3
Antibiotics

Generally, people do not take antibiotics for cold or flu. Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses, therefore they won't make you get better faster, or make you less infectious.

4
Pharmacy Remedies

Over the counter medicines can help symptoms such as Paracetamol for a headache, nasal sprays for blocked nose (saline only for children under under 6) and throat lozenges for a sore throat.

5
Home Remedies

Drinking lots of water, gargling with warm salty-water, drinking lemon tea with honey, and getting rest can all help relieve symptoms. Chicken soup is easy to swallow, and contains an amino acid called cysteine, which can help thin out mucus.

6
Hand Washing

Singing that Happy Birthday song twice is the prefect length of time to effectively wash germs off hands. Any soap will do, it does not have to be "antibacterial".

7
Coughs Are Super-Spreaders

The average human cough can fill about three-quarters of 2L soft drink bottle with air and vapour, shooting out of the lungs in a spray that travels over a meter in distance!

8
Home Hygiene

Germs can transfer to our bodies when we touch surfaces. Regularly clean your phones, laptops, computer mouses, TV remote controls, door handles (especially the toilet), desk areas, fridge door and any other items that hands regular touch.

9
Mucus - AKA Snot!

We produce about 500mL per day of clear fluid when we're healthy. If you have a cold, mucus production increases, becomes thick and appears green or yellow.

10
Make It Moist

Add moisture to the air by using a cool-mist-vaporizer or humidifier which might help loosen congestion. Change the water daily, and clean the unit according to the manufacturer's instructions.

What Is Good Respiratory Hygiene?

Viruses such as colds and flu are spread by germs that are too small for us to see with the naked eye. Cold symptoms such as a runny nose, coughing and sneezing can spread cold germs into the air. If another person breathes these germs in, they can become infected with the virus and ‘catch the cold’. Germs are also spread by hand-to-face contact and by people touching objects that can be infected and by someone wiping their nose on their hand. An easy way to help stop the spread of germs and viruses is by using tissues correctly.

Tissues should be used in the following ways:

  • For blowing a runny nose (not wiping)
  • For covering the nose and mouth when sneezing
  • For covering the mouth when coughing

It is also very important that used tissues are thrown away immediately, and that you wash your hands immediately, or the virus could be spread by touch. Tissues are more hygienic than handkerchiefs and should be carried at all times by people who have a virus.

Did you know...
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4.3 is the average number of days preschool and school aged kids miss each year, as a result of cold and flu.
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82% of parents believe that their children pick up most of the germs that can cause colds or flu at school or pre-school.
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7% of pre-school children carry tissues with them every day or most days.
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12% of children in Kindergarden to Year 3 carry tissues with them every day or most days