Influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by influenza virus. It is characterized by short incubation period, fast transmission speed, high incidence rate, and sudden fever, sore throat, dry cough, fatigue, bulbar conjunctiva redness, and muscle soreness of the whole body. Generally, it lasts for several days and can cause systemic discomfort. In severe cases, it can lead to viral pneumonia or secondary lung infections. For elderly and frail individuals, influenza is a highly threatening infectious disease, as it can not only cause fever and overall discomfort, but also lead to complications, exacerbating the condition of patients with pulmonary heart disease and coronary heart disease, and even leading to death. According to relevant data reports, millions of people have died from influenza in recent outbreaks around the world.
The epidemic of influenza has obvious seasonality, mainly occurring in winter and spring. Its popularity also has a certain regularity, generally forming a minor epidemic every 3-5 years and a major epidemic every 8-10 years. For the prevention and control of influenza, vaccines and medication are currently widely used in the world. Vaccines have a preventive effect on both influenza A and influenza B, while the flu preventive drug – amantadine – only has a preventive effect on influenza A. At present, the use of amantadine is quite common in China, which means that all personnel in the outbreak area of influenza A are given the antiviral drug amantadine as a preventive dose, gradually reducing the scope of the epidemic and even suspending it. However, the use of influenza vaccines is currently not widespread in China. Next, we will introduce a set of simple and effective measures to prevent influenza – vinegar disinfection method, which can be used in combination with drug prevention.
1. Personal protective mouth and nose washing method: Mix one part of vinegar with one part of boiling water in equal amounts, let it warm, rinse in the mouth and throat, and then rinse the nasal cavity with the remaining vinegar, once in the morning and once in the evening, and use continuously for 5 days during the epidemic period.
2. Space disinfection method: This method is applicable to family housing. One portion of vinegar is mixed with one portion of water, put into a spray, and sterilize by spray after closing the doors and windows before the night break. New houses or buildings should be sprayed with 2-5 ml of spray per cubic meter of space, and old houses should be disinfected every other day at 50-100 ml per room. The amount of vinegar should be increased to 150-250 ml per room for three times during the period of severe epidemic or when patients have appeared in the family.
3. Residential fumigation (boiling) method: Close the doors and windows tightly, pour vinegar into containers such as iron pots or sand pots, and boil over low heat to fill the room with acetic acid vapor until the vinegar is cooked dry. After the container is cooled, add a little water to dissolve the remaining vinegar at the bottom of the pot, and then fumigate again. Repeat this process three times; The amount of vinegar used is 150 milliliters per room, which can be increased to 250-300 milliliters during the peak epidemic period and used continuously for 5 days.
In these two air disinfection methods, you can choose any one according to the conditions, such as air spray disinfection method when there is only heating equipment but no fire source. Fumigation can be used when there is an ignition source but no spray. These methods are easy to implement and have effective disinfection effects.
In addition to taking medication for prevention and implementing personal oral and nasal disinfection prevention, as well as environmental air disinfection, it is also important to avoid going to public places during the influenza epidemic to reduce the chances of infection. Pay attention to physical exercise, ensure rest, and enhance physical fitness. Improving one’s physical resistance is also an important measure to prevent influenza.
