All washed up
When everyone around you is sick, how do you stay healthy? By washing your hands. Since germs are mostly transmitted by direct contact, this is an effective way to control the spread of infection. "If you're around individuals with a cold or the flu, you should wash up after touching something they have touched," says Mary Caruso, RN, an infection control practitioner at Virtua Berlin.
Increased hand washing in the winter months, however, can result in dry and cracked hands, leaving you more open to infection, so moisturizing is important. Try "udder cream" (found in local discount stores), a heavy cream used on cows and also effective on irritated human skin.
As always, wash your hands after using the bathroom, touching raw eggs, raw meat or pets, and before eating. And, keep your hands away from your nose, eyes and mouth, thereby reducing the chance of unfriendly microbes entering your system.