Avoid a run in with the SUPER bug this holiday season.
Celebrating Thanksgiving normally marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season and the stress that goes with it. Flu season is in full swing and germ threats are higher and recent news reports have highlighted the dangers of MRSA, a strain of drug-resistant staph infection.
While MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) has been found in hospitals among people with weakened or suppressed immune systems, recent scares, like one close to home at Fayetteville Regional Medical Center shows us why we should be careful of outbreaks in our own communities this holiday season.
In a surprising study recently conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories found that MRSA caught in the community could be more dangerous than the version found in hospitals
A key to coping with MRSA and the other diseases so common this time of year is through regular, thorough hand washing with soap and water.
It’s easy to forget to wash your hands in the midst of shopping, mingling and mixing with friends and family this time of year.
A Raleigh-area resident, Brendan Ferns, who lost a friend from MRSA and who works in our hospitals tell us what actions we can take to reduce the likelihood of becoming infected with MRSA or other bacteria this holiday season:
Scrub up - Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds - the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice - or use an alcohol-based hand rub sanitizer.
Wipe it down - Use a disinfecting bleach solution to wipe down and disinfect hard surfaces. Make sure to use clean cloths to avoid spreading MRSA from one surface to another. (1 tablespoon of disinfecting bleach diluted in 1 quart of water)
Cover your cuts - Keep any nicks or wounds covered with a clean, dry bandage until healed.
Keep to yourself - Do not share personal items, like towels or razors, that come into contact with bare skin.
Use a barrier - Keep a towel or clothing between skin and shared equipment.
In addition, you can find more detailed information about MRSA and ways to prevent the spread of this lethal disease at www.stopMRSAnow.org
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