Page 60 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2016

HEALTHY LIVING icky ucky yucky
story by Susan Ruddiman photo courtesy of Carlin Necaise
Winter brings its own challenges to the Coast even though there is little snowfall or long hard freezes. It’s still the time of year where colds and the flu can be shared a little too easily.
“The rhinovirus and the influenza virus are more prevalent this time of the year because the pathogens thrive on low humidity that happens in the drier months,” said Registered Nurse Carlin Necaise, an infection preventionist at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport. “Plus people stay inside in close contact more when it’s cold than in warmer months.”
While Necaise has the tough task of preventing and educating about MRSA — methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to several antibiotics — she is also current on how to prevent the spread of germs:
• One of the sayings she has used claims: “I fly through the air with the greatest of ease, so cough and sneeze in your sleeve, please.” The inside of the elbow is a convenient site to sneeze if a clean tissue isn’t handy. If a person covers his mouth with his hand during the sneeze, the germs get on his hands. “Cold and flu spread most easily around two days before your symptoms start,” Necaise said.
• Since cold and flu germs get on the hands, and can then get into eyes and mouth, hand washing is necessary. Use warm water and soap to wash for a minimum of 20 seconds. “Soap kills the pathogens and water rinses the soap off,” she said.
• Cold and flu germs can live on surfaces for hours, so families should disinfect areas such as tabletops, doorknobs, remote controls and toys using a spray or wipe. First-grade teacher Edra Perry has benefitted from Necaise’s advice, and regularly wipes down her classroom to kill germs.
• Get a flu vaccination each year. Parents need to keep in mind the flu and cold are viruses, so asking a doctor to prescribe an antibiotic is counter-productive because those medicines work only on bacterial infections, Necaise said.
• Keep up with regular physical activity, wear layers and sunscreen when outside, and drink plenty of fluids.
“Your immune system is complex, and it’s always best to keep it in balance,” Necaise said.
60 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • December 2016
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Carlin Necaise, RN
GERMS FLY THROUGH THE
AIR WITH THE GREATEST OF EASE