In addition to staying home when you may have the flu, the following precautions should be taken:

• Avoid close contact with people who are coughing or otherwise appear ill.
• Cover your mouth when you cough. Use a tissue if you are sneezing
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water and avoid touching your face. Alcohol-based hand gels are effective as well.
• Avoid sharing eating utensils, water bottles, towels or bedding without first washing these items with soap and hot water.

Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between a cold and the flu. Below are some guidelines that could be helpful. However, in either case it is best to stay home until you have recovered.

The Center for Disease Control now recommends that people with influenza-like illness remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100° F [37.8°C]), or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. This is a more flexible approach from the previous recommendation of seven days and would also apply to school or day care situations.

Cold

• Fever is rare.
• Headache is rare.
• Aches and pains are occasional.
• Fatigue and weakness sometimes occur
• Extreme exhaustion never occurs.
• Stuffy nose, sneezing, and sore throat are common.
• Chest discomfort and hacking cough can be mild to moderate.

Flu

• Fever usually occurs and is high – 100 – 102 degrees Fahrenheit,
  occasionally higher, especially in young children.
• Headache is common.
• General aches and pains are common and often severe.
• Fatigue and weakness usually occur and can last up to two – three weeks.
• Extreme exhaustion usually occurs at the beginning of the illness.
• Stuffy nose, sneezing and sore throat sometimes occur.
• Chest discomfort and cough are common and can become severe.