Illness & Infection Prevention: 

A Guide to Staying Well

By following a few easy steps, you can prevent the spread of illness and reduce the chance of catching an illness!

1. Keep hands clean.

2. Avoid touching your face.

3. Keep things clean.

4. Do not get close to sick people.

5. Visit your doctor.

6. Handle and store food safely.

Keep Hands Clean!

Wet your hands with clean running water, turn off the tap, and apply soap.

Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap, get the backs of your hands between your fingers and under your nails.

Scrub for at least 20 seconds!

Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

Dry your hands using a clean towel or air drying.

(Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, n.d.)

Avoid Touching Your Face!

How many times do you touch your face? Almost 23 times in ONE HOUR! (Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers, n.d.)

Respiratory infections can be caused by many different bacteria, viruses, and other disease-causing germs.

When you touch your face with dirty, unwashed hands, germs can move into your mucus membranes, leading to infections like pneumonia or the flu.

When you sneeze or cough, the germs can spread through the air too, so always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze!

(Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers, n.d.)

Do Not Get Close to Sick People

Sick people can spread viruses that cause common illnesses through close contact with others!

If you are sick, STAY HOME!

If you are sick, AVOID HUGS AND KISSES!

If you are sick, DO NOT COUGH OR SNEEZE CLOSE TO PEOPLE!

If you are sick, COVER YOUR MOUTH AND NOSE when you sneeze!

WASH YOUR HANDS after you sneeze, cough, or blow your nose!

(CDC, 2020).

Keep Things Clean!

Keep surfaces and objects that are touched often clean and sanitized: examples are desks, countertops, doorknobs, computer keyboards, toys, faucet handles, and phones.

(CDC, 2021).

Germs touch what you touch!