Cleaning Surfaces May Not Be Enough To Avoid Getting The Flu (NAPSA)—Onething most people may not knowis that the main way influenza viruses are spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs or sneezes. A sneeze produces extremely high numbersof both very small particles that remain airborne for a long time until they results are very important because they demonstrate that installing a whole-house air cleaner can add another layer of protection against the flu for patients with allergies and asthma.” Following these good health habits can help you prevent the tilation or filtration system, and large particles that fall quickly out of the air and contaminate surfaces. That’s why it’s important during flu season and throughout the year to clean both surfaces and ple who are sick. Keep your distance from others when you’re sick to protect them from becoming ill, too. Cover your mouth and nose. Use a tissue when coughing or sneezing—it may prevent those around you from gettingsick. Install a whole-house air cleaner. Use Trane CleanEffects to remove airborne particles and flu: e Avoid close contact with peo- are removed through a home’s ven- the air in your home. In other words, getting a flu shot, eliminating germs on surfaces through cleaning, and washing handsoften are important steps to avoid get- ting the flu. Yet many people are still vulnerable to the commonflu in the air in their home. So how do you treat the air? Now,first-of-its-kind research con- ducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, in collaboration with scientists at Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc. (EH&E), shows that Trane CleanEffects, a whole- house air-filtration system, removes more than 99 percent of the common flu, or influenza A virus, from the filtered air. “By removing the vast majority of the commonflu virus from a home’s recirculated air, the average airborne concentration of the virus in the homeis reduced, thereby lowering airborne exposure to the virus for household occupants,” says Dr. David Mac- Intosh, instructor at the Harvard Extension School and principal scientist at EH&E. “In a home with central forced air and a con- ventional one-inch filter, the New study results show Trane CleanEffects whole-houseair fil- tration system removes common flu virus from a home’sfiltered air. average virus particle would recirculate through the home about seven times before depositing on a surface or being transported outdoors. That’s more than enough time to breathe in the virus, and cleaning the air in your home is an important step to improve the health of your home environment.” Cleaner, healthier indoorairis important to everyone, but it’s especially critical if you or someone you love suffers from allergies or asthma. “People with allergies and asthma are potentially at a greater risk of catching the airborne flu virus,” says Dr. Paula Busse, M.D., allergy and imm- unology specialist, Mount Sinai Medical Center. “Additionally, patients with asthma may have a more severe course of the flu because of their underlying airway damage. For this reason, it is recommended that anyone with asthma take all measures to prevent acquiring the flu. These test the common flu, or influenza A virus, from the filtered air in your home. e Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food. Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school or running errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness. Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. e Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth. To learn more about how you can protect yourself against the flu and improve the air in your home, visit trane.com/flu.
