Don’t touch your face

While touching your face is sometimes unavoidable, you should make the effort not to put your hands near your eyes, nose or mouth during cold or flu season unless you have recently washed them.

Avoid crowded areas

During cold and flu season, avoid activities and functions where crowds gather. This is particularly important if the area is not well ventilated. If you find yourself in the vicinity of someone who is coughing, sneezing, or blowing his/her nose, move as far away as possible.

Clean your workspace

If you share a workspace with others, be extra careful to keep it clean. Phones, keyboards and other office equipment, pens and pencils, etc. should be cleaned/ disinfected often during cold and flu season. You might also consider using an antibacterial no-wash hand cleaner such as Purell®, available from London Drugs.

Don’t shake hands

Whenever possible, avoid shaking hands. If you can’t avoid a handshake, excuse yourself at your earliest opportunity and wash your hands.

Teach your children “cold etiquette”

Many viruses that cause winter ills find their way home via your little ones. Teach your children to wash their hands often, to dispose of tissues by putting them in a closed container or flushing them, and not to share eating/drinking utensils. Be especially sure that your children are vigilant about washing their hands after using the washroom and before eating.

Never share glasses

Sharing drinking glasses, cups or straws is a sure-fire way to spread viruses. While adults tend to avoid this type of sharing, children and teens frequently share cups, glasses and utensils. Teach your children to use only their own.

Wash drink cans

As obvious as this may be, very few people wash the tops of soda and beer cans before drinking from them. Cans are often handled by people who may be infected with a virus. Worse, someone may cough or sneeze in the vicinity of canned beverages. Be safe and wash your cans in warm, soapy water before putting them in the fridge.