Guard yourself against ‘Red Eye’

It’s so hard to believe that even now in November 2017 we are still seeing many cases of viral conjunctivitis, otherwise known as the ‘Red Eye’.

This may sound crazy, but this has been going on since February, maybe even January of this year. …. …. Viral conjunctivitis is very contagious and can be easily spread from person to person. There is also the possibility of reinfection.

To reduce the risk of getting the disease, or spreading it to someone, we have to follow some very simple steps for proper hygiene

1. Isolate the infected person

The employee or child should be kept away from others for at least two weeks.
That means sick leave at work and for parents – keep your child at home. I believe this one precaution alone could help reduce the incidence of infections.

2. Wash your handsmore frequently andthoroughly

When we talk about washing your hands, what we are saying here is that you need to wash them thoroughly. A lot of people do not understand what thoroughly means.
Wet your hands with clean running water, then apply soap and work into a lather by rubbing them together. Make sure to rub the back of your hands, in between your fingers and under your nails.
Wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds … Let me repeat that… AT LEAST 20 seconds!
Rinse well with clean running water and then dry them with an air dryer or a clean towel.

3. Use hand sanitizers

… If you do not have soap and clean running water, make sure you purchase a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 per cent of alcohol.
Remember, though, that hand sanitizers kill only certain types of germs, not all of them. So, a combination of washing your hands and hand sanitizers makes more sense.
Apply the gel to the palm of one hand, rub your hands together and then rub over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until they are dry … also for 20 seconds!

4. Do not share items

Remember not to share items with an infected person, such as pillows, towels, eye drops, eye make-up or face make-up, make-up brushes, contact lenses or contact lens storage cases, even eye glasses etc.

Always wash your hands after contact with an infected person or any item they use, especially if you have to put eyedrops in somebody’s eyes, or after putting their laundry in the washing machine.

5. Throw away or replace infected items

If you want to prevent reinfection it is very important to throw away and replace any eye or face make-up while you are infected.

6. Clean door knobs regularly

Door knobs are a great source of reinfection, because everybody has to go through a door and everybody has to touch a door with their hands. Wipe door knobs with alcohol and combine with a hand sanitizer.

7. Avoid shaking hands

Finally, another thing is shaking hands. Our customs and tradition make us shake everybody’s hands. It is not advisable to do so, especially during an epidemic where you could easily be infected.

Apply these simple tips, use the medication prescribed by your doctor and we could very easily reduce the incidence of the red eye sooner rather than later.

Remember to keep an eye on your eyes.