The flu is easily one of the most prolific viruses in Singapore. If someone around you starts coughing or sneezing, you can almost be guaranteed that he or she won't be the first or the last you see in a short while. You may even find yourself experiencing the the same annoying symptoms!
Singapore is a densely-populated country, and it is thus not unusual for the virus to spread fast, especially when you're spending copious amounts of time in highly-populated places such as schools, your workplace or public transport, where there are ample opportunities for human contact, direct or indirect.
You can certainly keep your immune system in good shape through healthy eating and exercise, as well as getting lots of rest. However, poor sanitary practices and frequent contact with the germ-infested surfaces are major causes for spreading the virus. Germ-infested surfaces are not necessarily obviously dirty-looking, but they also refer to places that come into high-frequency contact with people. It makes sense of course, the greater number of people who come into contact with it, the greater the possibility that one or a few of these people are sick. Throughout our day, we often don't think twice of touching such surfaces and cleaning up accordingly. Let this article serve as a reminder, that it is always important to practise good hygiene.
If you work in a high-rise office building, you'll be using the lift a few times a day, and you'll be touching buttons that all the other building occupants also use. Instead of touching the buttons with your finger, use your elbow or knuckle instead to decrease exposure of germs.
Do you visit the pantry often? Guess what, so do your colleagues. They use the very same coffee pot, microwave and refrigerator that you do. Make sure you wash your hands with soap or use anti-bacterial hand wipes before you tuck into your lunch or coffee.
Researchers have already tried to ingrain in our minds how our handphones are much dirtier than the toilet seat. Desk phones aren't as bad, but if you use them often enough, and especially if it is a common phone that several people share, you should invest in alcohol wipes for the phone receiver if your office cleaner doesn't.
Many offices are going green which means less investment in fax machines, copiers and printers. Yet we can't do away completely with them, so you've got an entire department or at least a few cubicles of colleagues sharing them. Again, alcohol wipes will be your saviour so you reduce the possibility of spreading that nasty flu around.
Once you're out of your own house, there are lots more "high-risk" items and environments if you analyse your surroundings carefully. The right mentality is not to practise avoidance or paranoia, but to be mindful of what you come into contact with, and to always wash your hands before handling food or touching your face whereby germs could easily be transferred to your orifices.
Last but not least, if you're sick, do yourself and everyone in your office a favour by seeking medical treatment and staying away until you're well. Wear a surgical mask to reduce the spread of germs from your saliva as much as possible.
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