Fighting flu depends on you

The swine flu has shown that it is not to be taken lightly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of cases of swine flu being reported now equals the amount of cases of seasonal flu during its winter peak. Add to that the fact that more than 1,000 deaths have resulted from the disease nationally to date, and the country can see why there has been so much concern over the illness.

Flu continues to affect school attendance, which in return causes parental absenteeism on the job as mothers and fathers remain at home to take care of ill children. To add to the problem of a growing number of cases is the late arrival of H1N1 vaccine that will potentially keep millions in the United States from contracting this form of the flu. Unless additional supplies are forthcoming in short order, not everyone who wants to get the vaccine will have that opportunity.

There are some things that can be done to reduce the impact of this disease on our community. Health officials insist that regular hand washing is a significant way to keep people safe from the disease. Using hand sanitizer regularly, coughing or sneezing into the crooks of one's arms and steering clear of others when one is infected can help reduce the spread of H1N1. So too can keeping children at home for at least 24 hours after the fever has left.

This pandemic of H1N1 has hit hard just as predicted earlier in the year, and we still have the seasonal flu ahead. These illnesses should not be minimized, nor should precautions be ignored. For thousands, this has already been a matter of life and death. Do all you can to limit the impact.