On a day when the Centers for Disease Control confirmed the first U.S. swine flu death in Texas and the first case may have landed in Minnesota, travelers– and those that work in the travel industry — are deeply concerned. Airlines are waiving fees for changing flights to Mexico. Cruise lines are rerouting to avoid Mexican harbors. The Association of Flight Attendants has asked the Federal Aviation Administration to require all U.S. airlines to screen passengers for symptoms of swine flu. Those are prudent measures, but how can people who need to fly protect themselves?

According to a Newsweek web-exclusive article “When flu flies,” here are some simple precautions:

1. Wash your hands often, use hand sanitizer and avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth.

2. Turn on the overhead air and aim in to just in front of your face. It will increase ventilation and may push any unwanted particles out of the way. Unless you come within two rows of an infect person, there is little need for concern.

3. Drink lots of water (and skip dehydrating coffee and alcohol). A well hydrated mucous membrane is the body’s first defense against viruses and bacteria.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 at 10:53 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.