5 Ways To Prevent The Spread Of The Dreaded ‘Stomach Bug’

We are currently playing the 'is it food poisoning or the stomach flu' game at our house, and since I'm no doctor there's been a lot of google searches to try and figure it out. If you happen to be playing the same fun little game, here are some helpful tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to stop spreading the bug.

1.  Practice Proper Hygiene--this means washing your hands! Use soap and water to wash your hands AFTER using the restroom and ALWAYS wash your hands before eating or preparing food. The CDC says that if soap and water aren't available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer which can help reduce the number of germs on your hands.
2. Do not prepare food while infected-if you're sick...STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN! The CDC says that people with norovirus shouldn't prepare food for others while they have symptoms AND for at least 2 days after they recover from their illness. (It's kind of like a mini-vacation from cooking...)
3. Use extra care in the kitchen-this means to be sure to wash all of your fruit and vegetables...but even better...see #2 and just stay out of the kitchen!
4. Clean and disinfect EVERYTHING-the experts recommend that you immediately clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces using a bleach-based household cleaner as directed on the product label. If you're out of cleaning products, they say that you can use a solution made with 5 tablespoons to 1.5 cups of household bleach per 1 gallon of water.
   
5. Head to the laundry room-the CDC says to immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated and to be sure to handle soiled items carefully. They also recommend that you wear rubber or disposable gloves while handling soiled clothing or linens and wash your hands after handling. You should also wash the contaminated clothes with at the maximum available cycle length and then machine dry.

Click here for more advice. And please remember to STAY HOME if you're sick!

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