BOZEMAN, Mont.- In Montana, there have been more than 3,000 cases of the flu this season.
One of the places you’re most likely to catch the flu, is at your job, where most people spend 8 hours, usually five days a week.
Flu germs linger just about everywhere during flu season and the workplace is one of the number one places you can catch the flu. Think about the number of germs you and your co-workers bring in from outside the workplace and even the germs that are already on shared surfaces.
“Make sure you have the people cleaning or organization focuses on high touch surfaces,” Patient Safety Coordinator at Bozeman Health, Michelle Kirsch said. “So our high-touch surfaces are our door handles, our light switches and then phones, keyboards, mouses, anything electronic and anything that has a lot of nooks and crannies if you will. They’re a little harder to clean so we really want to focus our energy on cleaning those with something that has a high kill rate and specifically will kill flu virus.”
The flu germs that get people sick can sit and linger on surfaces for up to a week and cleaning theses surfaces at least weekly is highly advised.
The flu can be transmitted directly from person to person or by touch surfaces.
When having a conversation it’s best to take a step back to prevent catching the flu from the other person.
Encouraging staff to get the flu shot and simply washing your hands frequently can prevent your chances of catching the flu this season.
“People see it, they think to do it,” said Kirsch. “If they don’t see it then they forget. So we remember when we get up to go to the bathroom and sometimes it’s on our mind right before we go to the lunch room but there are other opportunities throughout the day so having it readily available to your staff encourages them to do so.”
Experts at the CDC say it’s still not too late to get your flu shot.
