By: Dr. James W. Stark

10/9/14 - There has been much discussion in the news regarding some potentially serious viral infections going around close to home as well as around the world, including Enterovirus D68 and Ebola. In addition, we are entering influenza season, which can also be serious in certain patient populations. This is a good time to revisit some basic infection control principles that all of our patients should be doing to protect themselves and their loved ones.

·         Hand Washing – the single most effective infection control strategy is careful hand washing. That includes soap and warm water or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

·         Avoid touching your mouth and nose will further prevent the chance of contracting a virus.

·         Avoid close contact with people who are exhibiting symptoms.

·         If you are already experiencing symptoms, cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze.

·         Stay home if you are experiencing symptoms to avoid infecting other people.

·         Maintain general healthfulness: Get good sleep and exercise, drink plenty of fluids and eat a healthy diet, and manage your stress.

·         Vaccines – This remains somewhat controversial in the MS field, so please contact your doctor. Generally, if someone has a clear indication for the influenza vaccine (primarily: age >65, works or resides in a health care setting, cardiac/pulmonary/renal disease, among others…) then the vaccine is recommended.

·         Antiviral medications: Antiviral medications such as Tamiflu work best at preventing the flu when there has been clear exposure prior to the development of symptoms. Recent research has indicated that these medications are ineffective at treating the infection once symptoms have developed.