Why will good hygiene be so important during a pandemic?
Human influenza viruses spread in tiny droplets, expelled from the mouth and nose of an infected person when they talk, cough or sneeze. You can get infected if you breathe in these droplets or if you touch someone or something that is contaminated with the virus (e.g. a used tissue or door handle), and then touch your nose or eyes. Good hygiene helps to stop flu viruses spreading and – since a vaccine may not be available at the start of a pandemic – it will be our main defence against pandemic flu.
