It’s flu and respiratory illness season and we want our members to remain healthy. The coronavirus spread is causing concerns, so we wanted to take this opportunity to share some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC writes on it’s website, “While the immediate risk of this new virus to the American public is believed to be low at this time, everyone can do their part to help us respond to this emerging public health threat.” Below are tips from the CDC. You can access more information on the
CDC website.
- Stay home when you are sick. Fever should be below 100.4 degrees for 24 hours if you are an adult. Per DCFS recommendations, children in any youth development programs should stay home is their fever is 100 degrees or higher.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. It is estimated that we do this unknowingly 15-23 times per hour.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a face mask.
- CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases.
- Face masks should be used by people who show symptoms of illness to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds - about the amount of time to sing the “Happy Birthday” song.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
We ask you to use your best judgment in protecting your health. The Y does not have a policy or guideline in place to turn people away who exhibit signs of sickness. It is our hope that people do stay home when they are sick. That being said, we know we are a place people have a hard time staying away from – even when they are sick. We do provide sanitation stations throughout the fitness areas. We also provide alcohol-based hand sanitizer at our membership desk.