West Nile Woes: Protect Yourself

Written by Kyla Campbell, staff contributor

It's true. In Texas, everything is bigger. And this year the number of West Nile Virus cases capturing headlines as our state leads the nation, is our latest 'bigger' news. 

With all the talk about West Nile Virus in the area, we thought we'd help spread the message on how you can protect yourself from a possible infection from the folks who know best, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC website is full of information, statistics, steps to help choose repellents, steps to take if you think you may have WNV and so much more. Here are the cliff notes in case you don't have time to check out the full site. 

The 4 D's can help protect you and the rest of your summer from these pesky insects and their WNV!

DEET

Apply insect repellent that contains DEET. You can also use repellents with Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

DRESS

Long sleeves and pants are best if you are going to be outside.

DRAIN

Any standing water can be a breeding ground for mosquitos so drain it! This includes flower pots, small swimming pools or wading pools and bird baths.

DUSK to DAWN

Mosquitos are most active during this time so grab a board game, watch a movie, enjoy a book. Whatever you choose to do, do it indoors!

You can also be prepared by recognizing the flu-like symptoms of an infection. These include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches
• Skin rash
• Swollen lymph nodes
• While these are typical symptoms of infection, most infected people show NO signs of illness.

So you are wondering, who is most at risk?

If you are older than 50 or have a weakened immune system, then you are a higher risk.

How likely are you to get West Nile Virus?

Good news is that fewer than 1% of those bitten become severely ill, 25% infected have mild symptoms and 80% of those infected will show no symptoms at all.

If you have more concerns or want more information, please visit www.cdc.gov.

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9th Day of Hanuchristmaskwanzakah: American Red Cross Style

We are nine days in and are starting to see the light of day. We have been caroling… well, the American Red Cross – Dallas Area Chapter and you have (I still haven’t been able to convince them to let me and my beautiful singing voice in the "cool kids caroling club" yet).

Our tips have included everything from babysitting to drunk driving and car trouble to CPR. You know us well, we’ll cover anything under the sun as long as it is about our favorite thing – preparedness.

Day nine is fairly common sense, like most have been. But, they truly can be lifesaving and make your holiday one of cheer and hope instead of disaster. Let’s dig in and spread around some of our holiday cheer.

On the ninth day of Hanuchristmakwanzakah, the American Red Cross advised me
Heat your home safely
Designate a driver
Save a life
Avoid danger while cooking
Red Cross train your babysitterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!
Prevent hypothermia
Don't spread the flu
Please drive safely
And prepare my vehicle for traveling!

Yes, preparedness trekkies, it is better to heat your home safely when the weather outside is frightful.

NEVER use your stove or oven to heat your home.

NEVER leave portable heaters or fireplaces unattended.

PLEASE install smoke alarms on every floor of your home and outside all sleeping areas and test them monthly.

Follow these few tips and you won’t be singing “Baby, it’s cold inside!”

Someone had a spark of inspiration for today’s video of the “12 Days of Christmas.” I knew there had to be a trekkie video out there somewhere. Enjoy!

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In the Back-to-School Spirit - just watch out for flying pigs

Ah, the new school year. The smell of new back packs, the rustling of college-ruled papers, and the noise of kiddos blowing their noses in harmony. Yes, it is that time of year again.

With the new school year, health officials brace themselves and their Kleenex boxes for another wave of the H1N1 flu virus (more commonly known as the swine flu). And that’s nothing to oink at.

As always, the American Red Cross, in all of its preparedness glory, has a few tips to help you and your children prepare for the new school year:

• Teach your children (actually, every child that troops through your home) proper and consistent hand washing techniques.
• Make sure they know to avoid sharing object such as utensils, cups, and bottles.
• Show them how to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. If there is not a tissue around, tell them to use their elbow or upper arm, not hands.
• Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth to keep germs from entering your body.

Of course, you should talk about what you would do if the H1N1 were to spread at your child’s school and your child gets sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests those with flu-like symptoms stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone (without the aid of a fever-reducing medicine).

Go hog wild and don’t be afraid to eat as much bacon and pulled-pork as you possibly can (unless allergies or religion prevents). But, most importantly, remember what mama says:

"You can pick your friends. You can pick your nose. But, you can’t pick your friends noses."

Actually, just pick your friends and leave the nose part for sneezing. Now, that's not Hogwash.

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