In any community, infection control includes maintaining healthy habits that keep disease from spreading between family and community members.

For COVID-19 specific information visit our dedicated COVID-19 page.

Staying Healthy & Preventing the Spread of Disease

Hand Washing
One of the most important ways to prevent an infection is to wash your hands after touching another person, or an item or surface that may have been contaminated or soiled.

When to Wash Your Hands

• After using the bathroom or changing diapers
• Before and after eating
• After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• Before and after preparing food (especially raw meat)
• Before or after caring for someone who is sick
• After touching another person's hands or touching an animal or pet
• After handling garbage

How to Wash With Soap & Water

• Always use warm water and soap. Pre-moistened cleansing wipes do not effectively clean hands
• Wet hands and apply soap
• Rub hands until a soapy lather appears for at least 15 - 20 seconds
• Be sure to scrub between fingers, under fingernails, around joints and the tops and palms of hands
• Rinse hands
• Dry hands with a clean or paper towel
• If in a public place, use another paper towel to turn off the faucet and throw away in the trash
• When helping a child, rub their hands first and then wash your own

How to Wash with Hand Sanitizer

• Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
• Use alcohol-based gel that has at least 60% alcohol content to be effective
• Use hand sanitizer when hands are not visibly dirty (if hands are dirty, wipe off dirt first)
• Apply enough hand sanitizer for both hands to palm
• Rub hands covering between fingers, under fingernails, around joints and the tops and palms of hands until dry
• If hands dry before 10 seconds, you did not use enough

Cover Your Cough

• To help stop the spread of germs, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Put your used tissue in the trash.
• If you don't have a tissue, then cough or sneeze into your upper arm
• Wash your hands with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer

Vaccines

• Make sure your vaccines are up to date and ensure that if you have children, their vaccines are up to date
• These include vaccines such as Hepatitis A and B, annual flu shots and childhood immunizations

Food Preparation

• Prepare food in a safe manner
• Cook and store at proper temperatures
• Never eat food that has been left out over an extended period (over four hours) or is spoiled

Healthy Lifestyle

• Try to eat a well balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Drink lots of water
• Get plenty of sleep and regular exercise
• Leading a healthy lifestyle helps boost your immune system so that it can prevent infections