Shoo Flu Don't Bother Me!

It's cold out there! Our new fall weather really brings it home that winter is coming and flu season is here. If you haven't thought about the flu yet this year, now is the time to get active about staying well this flu season.

What is the flu?

Influenza, also known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory disease caused by various strains of viruses. Flu season in the United States starts every fall and ends in the spring. This type of flu is also known as the seasonal flu and affects 5 to 20 percent of Americans every year. Influenza as harmless at may seem can be very dangerous if not taken care of properly. About 23,600 deaths occur each year in the United States because of flu-related causes.

Flu Symptoms

• High fever
• Headaches
• Severe body aches
• Extreme tiredness
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea (more common in children than adults)
• NOTE: Having all of these symptoms does not neccessarily mean you have the flu. Many different illnesses have similar symptoms, so it is best to visit your healthcare provider who can provide a better diagnostic.

How Can I avoid the flu?

• The flu vaccine is the best way of preventing the flu and is available every year in the United States. For a better chance of protection, make sure to get the flu vaccine as soon as possible. Here are a few locations offering the flu vaccine in the area:
• For students: The University of Texas and ACC will be offering flu vaccines for students and faculty.
• For more locations near you, you can visit the American Lung Association
• Practice good health habits like eating a balanced diet, getting enough rest, drinking enough fluids and excercising. This will help maintain your body's resistence to infections.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water.
• Avoid or minimize contact with sick people that can spread the flu.

Go get your flu shot!

Halloween Costume Safety Tips

For kids, Halloween means they can dress up as anything they want for a night. Whether they may want to be a scary vampire or pretty princess, there are some things to take into consideration while shopping for your child's costume:

• Make sure children wear bright colors. Bright colors are much more noticeable to drivers at night. If your child's costume is a dark color, adding reflective tape or safety light to their costumes can help them be more visible at night.
• Also, wearing well-fitted costumes and comfortable shoes will help prevent falls or trips that can be caused by long hemlines.
• Opt for makeup instead of a mask. Masks can make it hard to hear and block your child's peripheral view.
• Make sure to test makeup in a small area first and to take off before bedtime to prevent irritation.
• Do not use decorative contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from an eye care professional. While the packaging on decorative lenses will often make claims such as “one size fits all,” or “no need to see an eye specialist,” obtaining decorative contact lenses without a prescription is both dangerous and illegal. This can cause pain, inflammation, and serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to permanent vision loss.

For more Halloween Safety Tips, visit the American Red Cross.

Step 3: Be Informed

The last step is to be informed. Learn about what the most prevalent disasters and emergencies are in your area. These can range from personal emergencies that only affect you and your family to natural disasters that can affect your entire community.

• Know the different weather alerts and their meanings such as "warning" and "watch" and the actions you must take for each. A "watch" means that conditions are right for dangerous weather. In other words, to "watch" for potential dangerous weather in your area. For short-term weather events, like tornadoes, this means that the current weather conditions may cause a tornado to form. In longer-lived events, like hurricanes, a "watch" means that there is no immediate threat yet. A "warning" on the other hand means that dangerous weather is in the area.
• Know what actions you should take in new areas, for example, if you are traveling or just recently moved locations.
• Make sure at least one family member is trained in first aid and CPR and knows how to use a automted external defibrilator (AED).
• Encourage family and friends to be informed and share what you have learned with them.

Step 2: Make a Plan

Step two is in preparedness is to make a plan. Meet with your family or household members to discuss how to prepare and respond to disasters that are most likely to happen where you are whether you are at home, school, or work. As a way to get everyone involved, assign a specific task to everyone in the household and work as a team. This way everyone has a better idea of what to do.

Map out and practice an evacuation from your home in case of a fire or any other emergency. Have a plan of where you would go whether it is a hotel/motel or a friend's home in a safe location. Practice your evacuation plan at least twice a year and plan alternate routes in case roads may be blocked. Also, don't forget about your furry friends, and have contact information on pet friendly hotels/ motels and animal shelters that are nearby.

In case your family is separated have a plan of how to contact each other. Plan to meet outside the home in case of a fire our outside of your community in case you are unable to go back home. Also, it important to have a person of contact who is not in the same household that you can get in touch with to inform family and friends you are safe and well. Make sure that your emergency contact is aware that he or she is your household's contact and that everyone has this contact information with them.

For more information about fire prevention and safety, visit here.

 

Be Red Cross Ready: Step 1 Get a Kit

Disasters can happen anywhere and come without warning. These three steps can help you be prepared: Get a Kit, Make a Plan, and Be Informed.

Get a Kit

It is important to keep an emergency kit in your home with the essential supplies you and your family may need in case of a disaster or any other emergency. Make sure that the kit is easy to carry in case you must evacuate your home. Here are some basic supplies to start your kit:

• Water: One gallon per person, per day ( 3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Food: non-parishable ( 3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered radio
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications (7-day supply)
• Multi-purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/ lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Map(s) of the area

You may also want to add other items to your kit based on your family members' needs like specific medical supplies, baby supplies or pet supplies.

For the complete list of suggested supplies visit here.

Stay tuned for the next two steps you can take to be Red Cross Ready.  

READY. SET. RED! HINTS FOR WINTER WEATHER

It's already February; how did that happen so quickly?  Well, nothing like starting the month off with a few freezing cold days.  Bundle up, and while you stay distracted at work, don't forget to sign up for the Ready. Set. Red! Cross City Challenge on March 5th at www.ReadySetRed.com.

Are you ready to brave the elements?  Prepare yourself for the Texas Running Company's indoor obstacle course!  It will simulate a flood, windstorm, and other conditions of a natural disaster.  Stay tuned as we announce additional activities from the challenge.

And on that note...this week's fun fact hint is very pertinent to our weather this week.  Staying calm and using this information in a disaster can save your life (and earn you some extra points in the Ready. Set. Red! Cross City Challenge).  Your friends at the Red Cross are here for you.

"Winter storm" can have many different meanings from dangerously low temperatures to strong winds, ice, sleet and freezing rain.

• When the weatherman warns of a "Winter Storm Outlook", this means that winter storm conditions are possible in the next 2 to 5 days.
• A "Winter Weather Advisory" means that winter weather conditions are expected to cause significant inconveniences and may be hazardous.  When caution is used, these situations should not be life threatening.
• The days that you hear about a "Winter Storm Watch", you should review your winter storm plans and stay informed about weather conditions.  Winter storm conditions are possible within the next 36 to 48 hours.
• A "Winter Storm Warning" means that life threatening, severe winter conditions have begun or will begin within 24 hours.  People in a warning area should take precautions immediately.

Knowing the difference will help you better prepare for weather conditions ahead and possibly have the winning edge on March 5th.  Good luck at the Cross City Challenge...and navigating through the weather this week! 

UT RED CROSS CLUB HOLDS RECORD BREAKING MASS CPR EVENT

The American Red Cross Club at UT completed their 8^th Annual Mass CPR Training on Saturday February 20, 2010 at the University of Texas campus.  Students, staff and members of the community were among the 302 people trained in Adult CPR. 92 of those also received training in First Aid and Infant & Child CPR. Participants received a Red Cross certification card, CPR booklet, goodie bag, t-shirt, and refreshments. The courses were taught by 32 volunteer instructors.  Another 50+ volunteers were present from various other student organizations on campus. The event was a great success, training a total of 394 total participants, the highest number in the history of the event.  The Red Cross would like to thank Kayla Iltis, Mass CPR Chair, and her team at the UT Red Cross Club for making this possible.   

 

UT Red Cross Club

 Student practicing CPR on a Red Cross Manikin

Volunteers wrapping faces in preparation for Mass CPR

Denise Blok, Senior Director, Business Operations and Melissa Payne, Customer Service Coordinator oversee registration

UT Red Cross Club

 Registration

UT Red Cross Club Volunteers

UT Red Cross Club Volunteers

Instructor Lis Wise in action

 

 UT Red Cross Club Volunteers

 Adult CPR Training

Taking the Test

A LETTER OF APPRECIATION FROM AN EVERYDAY HERO

To Whom it May Concern at the Central Texas Red Cross Organization,

The first time I walked into the Apple facility here in Austin as an employee, I was taken to an orientation class where Marshall Duke was presenting. He mentioned the ERT team in Austin and I was immediately interested. I have been involved in ERT since February of 2008 and I've re-certified yearly with the ARC of Central Texas group.

On a Saturday within the last year, I was at Apple taking Professional Application Support calls along with my fellow employees. In a quiet moment during the day, I heard my coworker, Sean, say in a panicked voice, "Steve! Steve!"

 

I turned around to see Steve unconsciously falling backwards and blood coming out of the corners of his mouth. I jumped into action and instantly went thru the routines we practiced again and again in class. I made sure Steve was clear of any immediate dangers. 

 

Then I pointed at my coworker and said, "You, call 911, let them know someone has gone unconscious."  

 

Steve started shaking and convulsing on the ground and it looked like he hit his head on the desk while he was collapsing to the ground. I pointed at another coworker, asked for the AED and to contact security. When the first aid kit and AED arrived, I put on the gloves and as I looked back at Steve, he stopped shaking and he wasn't breathing. I checked for signs of life and got ready for CPR. In the last of the ten seconds I listened for signs of life, Steve started snoring. I've never been so happy and relieved to hear someone snore. At that point, Steve was no longer seizing andI put him in the recovery position to clear his airway of fluid. At that point the phone operator gave the direction to put Steve in the recovery position he was already in. I was relieved to not have to make any more decisions with the operator on the line and the ambulance was on its way. 

 

Steve regained consciousness sometime before the ambulance arrived and had to be calmed. He was scared, had no idea where he was and he was more confused with each question he was asked. Eventually the response team arrived and took him to a local hospital.

Steve is okay today and I can't thank ARC of Central Texas or Apple enough for providing the training necessary to get immediate care to my friend. It ended up that Steve had lost a considerable amount of weight, but his insulin dosage did not change. A trip to the emergency room and a couple days stay in the hospital got him fixed up and his diabetes back in control. 

 

The next time I saw Steve he came from the hospital to Apple to talk to his boss. I was happy to see him upright and himself. I went to shake his hand, but he would have none of that. He wanted a bear hug.

Thank you so much for putting together these programs. Thank you to all the employees that put that together. Thank you. Thank you. I could never thank you enough for giving me the right tools to do the right thing, right away. I'm sure Steve feels the same way or pretty close to it.

Sincerely,

Andy Graham
AppleCare Professional Application Support