Managers working out of Liverpool serviced offices at the moment should remind their members of staff about the importance of good hand hygiene and the spread of germs, as the city is currently in the grip of Aussie flu.
This is a strain of flu that has affected many people around the world (dubbed Aussie flu because Australia suffered a serious outbreak last year) – and now Public Health England’s Flusurvey map has revealed that areas in Merseyside are now proper flu hotspots as well.
The virus is currently circulating in Liverpool, Wirral and Sefton, as well as Warrington, Widnes, Runcorn and the majority of the St Helens borough.
Symptoms of this particular strain include fever, a dry chesty cough, exhaustion, nausea, sore throat, headache, trouble sleeping, vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, and aches and pains.
Practicing good hand hygiene is perhaps the best way of preventing the spread of germs and stopping ourselves from falling ill. Hands should be washed before, during and after preparing food, before eating, before looking after a sick person, after using the toilet, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, and after cleaning up a nappy or after a child who has used the loo.
To ensure you’re doing it properly, wet hands with clean running after, then apply soap. Lather your hands together, including the backs of your hands, between fingers and under your nails. Scrub your hands for 20 seconds at least, then rinse under clean running water. Dry with a clean towel or use a hand dryer.