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economist sunsuntribune wellness saturday march 25 2006 pesky flu bug sticking around into spring by michael power staff writer achoo if you hear a lot of sneezing from your col league in the next cubicle you might want to pass them some hand sanitiz- er and try to make it alcoholbased the number of flu cases seems to be down in york region this winter said grace volkening manager of infection pre vention and control at southlake hospital but that doesnt mean were out of the proverbial viral woods yet through november to march or april theres always a number of virus es circulating shesaid that includes the common cold as well as a number of stomach viruses ms volkening said to keep the spread of those viruses to a mini mum some common sense rules apply she said most viruses spread easily through contact with infected people ms volkening said covering your face when you cough or sneeze and washing your hands afterward will help keep transmission to a minimum keeping an alcohol- flu faqs influenza is a respiratory infection caused by virus the public health agency of canada reveals strains circulate each year and typically start with headache chills and a coughthis is followed by loss of appetite muscle aches and fatigue runny nose sneezing watery eyes and throat irritation nausea vomiting and diarrhea may also occur especially in children based sanitizer nearby to wash your hands is con venient she added how many people are going to get up arid down from their desks 50 times a day she said those preventive steps collectively will make a huge difference in terms of transmission flu season usually sees lots of children stay ing home from school ms volkening said and hospitals and retirement homes discourage employees from coming to work with fever or res piratory symptoms but whether that would work in the busi ness world is another story its a good idea she said but i dont know how you could enforce it withouttaking everyones temperature at the door although the season often sees an increase in respiratory illness stom ach flu or gastroenteri tis seems to be more common this year said dr david austin chief of the emergency medicine department at markham stouffville hospital i think everybody was geared up for it and getting the flu shot but flu cases at least in the emergency department arent that prevalent he said washing your hands helps keep viruses at bay dr austin said also not sharing objects that could easily become con taminated such as drink- ing glasses or cutlery can limit infections that can be tough with children who share toys without considering whether theyre spread ing flu or the common cold dr austin said but adults can get it too he said w community care w access centre of york region were here for you coming out of hospital suffering an illness or injury need personal care to maintain your independence are you eligible for health care at home call the ccac of york region at 1 8884702222 this message brought to you as a community service of the economist suntribune we do not have call display and we do not record the call cash rewards for anonymous tips that lead to an arrest 1 800222tips or wwwcrimestoppersyrca this message brought to you as a community service of the economistsuntribune free shopathome calu162480000 or1268132 flooring visit our website giantcarpetcom toronto eglimon laird southeast corner toronto 23 kodiak crescent sheppard allen road mississaiigaoakville dundas hwy 403 west of winston churchill mississaugabrampton mavis britannia heartland town centre next to the brick markham hwy 7 mccowan rd right behind mcdonalds whitbyoshawa thickson road power ctr 401 thickson road burlington 3060 davidson ct unit c4 burlington gateway hamilton 1441 upper james nextto the brick barrie 42 caplan ave molson dr hwy 400 newmarket 17940 yonge st north of upper canada mall beside the brick showrooms also located in london ottawa store hours mbhfri 99 sat 96 sun 115 financing promotion andor advertised discounts on selected merchandise may require installation prior orders exempt offers cannot be combined installed prices refer to basic installation on flat surfaces mimmums and additional costs may apply 7day installation on instock carpet wood andor laminate financing oac on selected flooring purchases minimum purchase s899 rnanced amount due one year from date of purchase ss5 processing fee due at time of purchase an amount equivalent to the pst and gst 15 will be deducted from the purchase price of all area rugs phntrv mav not rfcnlrt pmrt stvla or rnlnur ftf nrnrtiirt i imituri lim nffor cellujite and fat reduction tech no logy that really works g j pain free and with no surgery no downtime see noticeable results look and feel your best medispa clinic on main 6038 mam street stoumue 9056400092