Flu Season in Dubai – Here’s How to Avoid Colds and Flu

Here are preventive measures to avoid getting the flu and other infectious diseases this season

Posted on

8 November 2018

| Last updated on 19 January 2020

Flu Season in Dubai – Here’s How to Avoid Colds and Flu

Treat your home against germs that threaten the health of your loved ones. Our Infection Control plan controls germs on surfaces and in the air. It safely and effectively eliminates all microorganisms and provides a long-term sanitized environment.

It’s the flu season in Dubai! The first step towards protecting yourself and your loved ones from getting sick, is to understand the illness’ characteristics and how it gets spread.

Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness which can be mild to severe resulting in serious health complications. This depends on various factors related to the concerned person like the age, physiological/psychological well-being, poor nutritional status, pregnancy, underlying disease and medical interventions. The period of contagiousness may extend from 1 day before showing symptoms, up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick.

The flu is spread mainly when someone comes in direct contact with droplets released from an ill person through coughing, sneezing or talking; or indirectly, by touching a contaminated object – knowing that based on studies human influenza viruses can survive on hard surfaces between 2 and 8 hours. Boecker® Biosecurity experts suggest the below PREVENTIVE measures to avoid getting the flu and other infectious diseases this season:

Stay home if you are sick: in case of flu–like illness, it is recommended to stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone.
Cover your nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing: good coughing and sneezing etiquette consists of covering your nose and mouth with a tissue then directly throwing it in the waste bin or coughing and sneezing into the inner crook of your elbow. Always wash your hands afterwards.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth: it’s a bad habit that allows the virus present on your hands to get into your system.
Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently: wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze; this decreases the number of germs present on your hands. If soap and water are not available use Boecker® hand sanitizer, make sure to cover all parts of hands and fingers.
Avoid contact with sick people: during the flu season, stay away from the crowd and keep safe distance in any social gathering as people with flu can spread it to others up to 2 meters away. Use facemasks to decrease the risk of influenza infection especially in case of a pandemic.
Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces: especially if someone is sick, use a disinfectant at home, workplace and/or school to disinfect shared items.
Ensure suitable ventilation and proper indoor air quality: Boecker® ICP™ service provides a germ-free environment and limits the spread of flu inside the same house, in addition to the Vortex service that targets HVAC systems to make sure that indoor air pollutants are reduced to a safe level.