Americans told to wear masks as swine flu spreads round globe

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

bleach?

[Mags 112]

bleach?

Yeah! Go blonde! Being blonde stops swine 'flu. Srsly.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

bleach?

Yeah! Go blonde! Being blonde stops swine 'flu. Srsly.

So that's why so many of the ladies have carpets and curtains that don't match!

[Mags 112]

bleach?

Yeah! Go blonde! Being blonde stops swine 'flu. Srsly.

So that's why so many of the ladies have carpets and curtains that don't match!

[Ban Hammer 14,578]

bleach?

kills everything.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

bleach?

kills everything.

I prefer alcohol based cleaners to kill stuff, bleach has the habit of marking up stuff.

Oh - and speaking of bleach - I just heard some guy on a radio talkshow telling people to saturate dust masks with bleach to prevent the swine flu.

If you do this - you will probably die. Do not try this at home

Edited April 27, 2009 by Bobby_Umit

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Well, in fairness, the man did say everything.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Well, in fairness, the man did say everything.

tis true

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Oh, good! Time to check my meds, and make sure nothing reduces my immunities, like NSAID's.

[maya62 7]

Did anyone else go out and buy hand sanitizer? I'm going to get masks. This is serious.

Most Surgical masks will not stop viruses. The bug is too small. They have to specifically be for virus protection. Plus you have to fit them properly. Having a facial hair would prevent a good seal.

Also - it doesn't protect your eyes, viruses can get in that way.

If you get hand sanitizer - make sure you get "anti-bacterial", but then you have to worry about it getting resistant to it.

Some tips:

•Avoid crowds the more people you come close to the bigger your risk of catching something. Being crammed into a commuter train probably isn't a good idea.

•Wear a face mask but viruses are small enough to get through some face masks. Some such as Nanomask claim to stop viruses.

•Turn away from sneezes if someone sneezes turn away and shut your eyes: virus in sneeze mist can enter via your eyes.

•Don't shake hands viruses love to spread that way, from hand to hand.

•Don't touch your face the virus can linger on your hands: touch your eyes, nose or mouth and you could get infected.

•Wear goggles goggles can stop the virus getting in via the moisture around your eyes: goggles stop cough and sneeze droplets and they stop you inadvertently rubbing your eyes.

•Wash your hands regularly particularly after shaking hands. Keep your fingernails clean, viruses love to lurk there. Carry hand-wipes alcohol wipes when out and about, have a pack of antiseptic wipes on your desk.

•Cleanliness is next to Godliness the virus can survive for hours on door handles and other surfaces so keep everything clean.

•Wear gloves gloves may help but get the virus on your gloves and then pick your nose and you're back to square one.

•Stay fit and well if you're unwell your resistance is lowered - usual stuff: eat fruit and vegetables, don't smoke, drink only in moderation. Moderate exercise helps but apparently too-strenuous exercise can make you more susceptible to viruses.

•Avoid osculation - that's kissing could sticking your tongue into someone Else's mouth give you the virus?

Simply washing your hands, not touching your face, mouth, eyes, will do wonders.

And when you wash them, really wash them. Tops, bottoms, sides, under nails. Sprinkle of water will not suffice.

(on the flip side - people with the bug can help stop the spread by wearing face masks... go figure...)

I'll just second the hand-washing suggestion... and add that wearing gloves and/or using hand sanitizers are not an adequate substitute for vigilant hand-washing and may give a false sense of security.

Good hand-washing practices help prevent a lot of things: foodborne illness, flu (all kinds), MRSA and loads of other opportunistic bugs that love to travel on grubby paws...

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This Swine Flu story is as good an example as any of how the media inflates people's fears far beyond the likelihood of any actual danger.

Its on every f*cking channel!

[Amby 490]

I was just thinking of how we joke and call them SARS masks...I don't really think swine mask sounds right

[Peikko 1,575]

The American people are scardy cats.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Personally, Im getting sick of hearing about it. No swine before it's time.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I was just thinking of how we joke and call them SARS masks...I don't really think swine mask sounds right

If the story is true - SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) was originally called Acute Respiratory Syndrome and the "Severe" was added because it was believed that a disease called ARS wouldn't be taken seriously by the general public...