It's That Time of Year Again

With the onset of cold weather always seems to come the illnesses. We, like most other people, get the vast majority of our viruses in the Fall and Winter months (although we had our share this past summer, too).

I know viruses just have to run their course, and there's not much we can do, other than fluids and rest, to help them along. But sometimes we get sick from infections, and sometimes those infections can be dangerous.

I recently found out about something called MRSA.

"MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a type of Staph bacteria found on the skin and in the nose that is resistant to antibiotics. More than 90,000 Americans get potentially deadly MRSA infections every year and in 2005, nearly 19,000 Americans died from MRSA infections. More deaths are linked to MRSA infections than AIDS."

The above quote is from the website stopmrsanow.org. This site is full of information that we can use to educate and protect ourselves and our children against this deadly infection.

This site also gives the following tips on how to prevent the spread of MRSA:

Scrub up - Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds - the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice - or use an alcohol-based hand rub sanitizer.
Wipe it down - Use a disinfecting bleach solution to wipe down and disinfect hard surfaces. Make sure to use clean cloths to avoid spreading MRSA from one surface to another. (1 tablespoon of disinfecting bleach diluted in 1 quart of water)
Cover your cuts - Keep any nicks or wounds covered with a clean, dry bandage until healed.
Keep to yourself - Do not share personal items, like towels or razors, that come into contact with bare skin.
Use a barrier - Keep a towel or clothing between skin and shared equipment.

Getting sick is an unavoidable fact of life, but it only makes sense to take steps to lessen our risks, especially for the potentially serious stuff. So, please take a minute to stop by this site to get more valuable information on MRSA.

Hope you are having a happy (and healthy) holiday week!

TTFN

~Tina