Practice proper handwashing

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "handwashing is the single most important procedure for preventing the spread of infection."

Washing your hands thoroughly and often is the most important way you can prevent catching germs and spreading germs to others and prevent many communicable diseases. Use warm water and soap and scrub your hands for about 20 seconds. Dry your hands with a clean, disposable towel. Use an alcohol-based hand cleaner when soap and water are not available.

To prevent catching germs from others you should:

Wash your hands before eating or touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

• Wash your hands after touching anyone who is sneezing, coughing or blowing the nose, or who has a runny nose.
• Wash your hands after using the restroom.
• Not share towels, lipstick, toys, cigarettes, food, eating utensils, drinking glasses, or anything else that might be contaminated with respiratory germs.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid when possible closed, crowded spaces.

Practice Respiratory Etiquette

Respiratory Etiquette, the practice of "good health manners," includes covering your nose and mouth every time you sneeze, cough or blow your nose; putting used tissues in the trash; and washing your hands well and often whenever you or someone you are close to is sick.  These good manners can prevent the spread of the viruses and bacteria that are passed from person-to-person in the tiny droplets of moisture that come out of the nose or mouth of an infected person when they cough, sneeze, or talk.

How do I protect others from catching germs?

• Wash your hands often when you are sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with tissue every time you sneeze, blow your nose, or cough.
• Always wash your hands after sneezing, blowing your nose, or coughing, or after touching used tissues.
• Do not use handkerchiefs.
• Put used tissues into the nearest trash can after using.
• If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve to cover your mouth and nose. Do not use your bare hands.
• When visiting your doctor or clinic, notify the receptionist if you have a fever with cough or rash. They may ask you to wear a mask or wait in a separate area.
• Stay home if you have a cough and fever. Keep away from family members that are very young, very old, or have a serious disease or weak immune system.
• Because cold viruses can survive for hours outside the body, cleaning surfaces with a virus-killing disinfectant (such as a 1 part household bleach to nine parts water solution) might help prevent spread of infection.

Practice Food Safety

While the food supply in the United States is one of the safest in the world, the CDC estimates that 76 million people get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 Americans die each year from foodborne illness. Preventing foodborne illness and death remains a major public health challenge. 

To reduce your risk of foodborne diseases, take the following precautions:  

COOK: meat, poultry and eggs thoroughly. 

• Use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of meat to be sure that it is cooked enough to kill bacteria.
• Ground beef should be cooked to 160o F. 
• Eggs should be cooked until the yolk is firm. 

SEPARATE: Don't cross-contaminate one food with another. 

• Wash hands, utensils, and cutting boards after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry and before they touch another food. 
• Put cooked meat on a clean plate, not the one that held raw meat. 

CHILL: Refrigerate leftovers promptly. 

• Bacteria can grow quickly at room temperature, so refrigerate leftover foods if they are not going to be eaten within 4 hours.
• Large volumes of food will cool more quickly if they are divided into several shallow containers.

CLEAN: Wash produce.

• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables in running tap water to remove visible dirt and grime.
• Remove and discard the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage.
• Because bacteria can grow well on the cut surface of fruit or vegetable, be careful not to contaminate these foods while slicing them up on the cutting board, and avoid leaving cut produce at room temperature for many hours.
• Wash your hands with soap and water before preparing food. 
• Avoid preparing food for others if you yourself have a diarrheal illness. 
• Don't spread illness by changing a baby's diaper while cooking.  

REPORT: Report suspected foodborne illnesses to your local health department 

• The local public health department is an important part of the food safety system.
• Often calls from concerned citizens are how outbreaks are first detected. 
• If a public health official contacts you to find our more about an illness you had, your cooperation is important.
• In public health investigations, it can be as important to talk to healthy people as to ill people.  Your cooperation may be needed even if you are not ill.