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Click
here for
Full document
from CDC
|
Is It a Cold or the
Flu?
Symptoms
|
Cold |
Flu |
|
Fever |
Rare |
Usual; high (100°F to 102°F,
occasionally higher, especially in young children);
lasts 3 to 4 days |
|
Headache |
Rare |
Common |
|
General Aches, Pains |
Slight |
Usual; often severe |
|
Fatigue, Weakness |
Sometimes |
Usual; can last up to 2 to 3 weeks
|
|
Exhaustion |
Never |
Usual; at the beginning of the illness
|
|
Stuffy Nose |
Common |
Sometimes |
|
Sneezing |
Usual |
Sometimes |
|
Sore Throat |
Common |
Sometimes |
|
Chest Discomfort, Cough |
Mild to moderate; hacking cough
|
Common; can become severe
|
|
Treatment |
Antihistamines Decongestants
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines
|
Antiviral medicines— see your doctor
|
|
Prevention |
Wash your hands often with soap and
water; avoid close contact with anyone with a cold
|
Annual vaccination; antiviral
medicines—see your doctor |
|
Complications |
Sinus congestion Middle ear infection
Asthma |
Bronchitis, pneumonia; can worsen
chronic conditions; can be life-threatening.
Complications more likely in the elderly, those with
chronic conditions, young children, and pregnant women
|
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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
If you use gas, wood, kerosene or fuel
oil as a heat source, you are producing carbon monoxide. Any
fuel-burning appliance such as a fireplace, water heater, space
heater, clothes dryer, or a gas stove is a potential source of CO
poisoning if not properly vented and maintained. Idling your vehicle
or running a gas-powered generator in an attached garage can also
cause CO; the fumes seep into your home through doors and
floorboards.
Symptoms of CO poisoning mimic the flu
and include dizziness, severe headaches, nausea, sleepiness,
fatigue/weakness, and disorientation. At high concentration levels,
CO can be fatal. Known as the "Silent Killer," carbon monoxide is
invisible, tasteless and odorless.
Protecting Your Family:
1. Do an annual inspection of heating
system and gas-burning appliances. A qualified technician should
come equipped with a digital CO analyzer such as the Bacharach
Monoxor II, which can be used to check the furnace, water heater,
range, oven and other gas-burning appliances while they are in
operation.
2. Install working Carbon Monoxide
alarms. CO detectors have a useful life of around five years. Older
units should be replaced. Newer models (meeting the current UL
standards) will alarm only when there is a sustained level of 70 ppm
(parts per million) of carbon monoxide in the air. Lower CO levels,
especially if prolonged, may be harmful to babies, youngsters,
pregnant women and older people. Choose an alarm with a digital
readout and memory that will record the highest CO level that
occurred since the last re-set.
3. What to do if alarm goes off:
Evacuate the house. Call the 911. If CO levels are not high, ask
that your family be tested with a CO breath analyzer (the CO in the
house may have dissipated by the time the fire department arrives).
Other tips:
a. Avoid warming
up automobile in the garage.
b. Never use
charcoal to cook inside.
c. Do not use
generators in garages, basements or indoors.
4. Backdrafting: Exhaust gases from
furnaces, fireplaces, water heaters and other appliances can be
pulled back inside a tightly sealed house when exhaust fans, clothes
dryers and other appliances are operated. This can happen when:
a. The house is
tightly sealed (weather-stripping, energy efficient windows).
b. The furnace and
other fuel-burning appliances are old or have been poorly
maintained.
c. Exhaust fans
have been added in kitchens and bathrooms.
d. Wood-burning
fireplaces do not have glass doors.
e. Basements have
been remodeled reducing the supply of comb
Now would be a good time to check your
furnaces or other fossil fuel burning equipment to make sure your
systems work as intended by the manufacturer and are venting
properly, Installing CO detectors in buildings and homes that use
fossil fuels is essential. Look for one that is battery operated
or includes battery backup for protection during power outages.
Beginning November 1, all residences in New York City will be
required to have a CO detector installed.
When the CO alarm sounds, don't ignore
it. Get out of the building immediately. Call emergency personnel
once you are out of the building and don't re-enter until you have
been notified that it is safe to do so.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is the
leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, according
to the Centers for Disease Control. Most poisonings happen in the
colder months, when homeowners use fuel-burning furnaces and
appliances. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports more
than 10,000 people die or seek medical attention each year due to CO
poisoning from a house-related product. More than half of those
fatalities and injuries are due to CO poisoning from heating
systems.
Check OSHA Safety web…for more info
