With the extremely cold temperatures still hanging around Iowa, make sure you are taking the proper steps to protect yourself from the flu this winter season.

Greene County Medical Center Infection Preventionist Sandy Atkinson says earlier this month there were four positive cases reported for Influenza A and one case for Influenza B in Greene County. Other than getting the flu vaccination, which is still the best course of action to prevent someone from getting the flu, Atkinson says there are other preventative measures people can take. Those tips include washing hands and using hand sanitizers, avoiding other sick people, eating a healthy diet, drinking lots of fluids, and wearing masks.

“I’m not opposed to that. We offer those things when you come into the hospital. Because we don’t want to have people who come into the hospital pick up bugs or viruses. And as much as we want people to come in, we don’t want people to be sharing those things either.”

The common signs and symptoms of the flu include: fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and headaches. Atkinson points out that getting a flu shot doesn’t mean that it completely prevents you from getting the flu, but that it lessens the chance of you contracting the illness. She talks about the range of how long people who have the flu stay sick.

“Most people tend to be really sick for three to five days and then it starts to drop off. Some people can feel bad for up to two weeks before they actually start feeling well again.”

Atkinson adds that earlier this month, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported one flu-related death in northeastern Iowa this winter.