Need advice on how to protect yourself from influenza? You’re in the right place! Check out this exclusive excerpt from Soap and Water & Common Sense, the definitive guide to staying healthy in a germ-filled world:

“Like the common cold, influenza spreads when someone who is infected with the virus coughs or sneezes. The virus can also remain active on surfaces such as doorknobs and taps or in a drop of water or mucus for anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. Our best and perhaps only defence is what we in the medical field call ‘respiratory etiquette.’ This means covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, preferably with a tissue that can be disposed of immediately. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve. It sounds funny, but this technique keeps those flu bugs from flying into the air and infecting others. The next step is to wash your hands or use alcohol-based hand rubs to stop the spread by direct contact and to kill any viruses that may linger on your hands. Finally, stay at home if you have a fever. A fever is a sure sign your body is fighting off something that could be passed on to others. These three measures may be our first and perhaps only line of defence against the influenza pandemic.”

— Dr. Bonnie Henry, Soap and Water & Common Sense

Dr. Bonnie Henry is a leading epidemiologist, public health doctor, and Director of Public Health Emergency Management at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. Stay tuned for more helpful advice and information from Dr. Bonnie’s excellent book, just in time for flu season!

“With its impressive combination of meticulous research and excellent writing, this is an invaluable handbook for anyone trying to stay healthy in a germ-infested universe. […] Thorough, useful and accessible, Soap and Water & Common Sense belongs on bookshelves and in doctors’ offices everywhere.” (Winnipeg Free Press)

Want to learn more now? Buy Dr. Bonnie’s book!