Stay well protected during ‘flu season with Sterillium®

Warm blankets, hot chocolate, and the smell of freshly baked cookies: winter is the perfect time to get cozy. At the same time, for many, the cold season is accompanied by less pleasant signs too, such as runny nose, sore throat, and fever. No wonder, the period between October and May is considered ‘flu season.

The word "‘flu" is an abbreviation of the Italian word "influenza", which means "visit" or "influence" and describes an infectious disease caused by a certain type of virus. In the northern hemisphere, infections of this type tend to increase during this period. Every year, 10 to 30 percent of people in Europe are infected with the influenza virus. The result: hundreds of thousands of hospital admissions across the continent [1]. But what exactly is influenza?

Most of us have probably experienced the typical symptoms of ‘flu at some point. Those affected usually suffer from a fever, sore throat, dry cough, aching limbs, and headaches.

However, the severity and duration of symptoms can vary greatly. Around a third of people with ‘flu experience symptoms in their full form, including several days of complete exhaustion. Another third show significantly milder symptoms which are more like a cold, and the final third develop no symptoms at all. The ‘flu usually lasts five to seven days, but the cough can persist for two to three weeks [3].

‘Flu, and the subsequent consequences, are usually most severe for young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with chronic illnesses [1]. In principle, however, the ‘flu can be serious for everyone. This makes it all the more important that we protect ourselves and others from infection during the ‘flu season.

Influenza viruses are not only transmitted via the air, but also via our hands if they come into contact with viruses and then touch the mouth, eyes, or nose. Therefore, regular hand washing is another good way to protect yourself from infection.

When traveling, it´s also advisable to always have a hand sanitizer such as Sterillium® with you – especially if you are using public transport or are in places with large crowds. No matter whether it's after a bus journey, a concert or a visit to the theater: it makes sense to disinfect your hands wherever you might touch contaminated surfaces or where there is no opportunity to wash your hands.

But what’s is the right product for this?

Did you know ‘influenza viruses can survive up to 2 full days on surfaces? And noroviruses can last up to 7? Many bacteria can even survive for several weeks on certain surfaces, depending on the environmental conditions [5]. For this reason, it can be useful not only to wash or disinfect your hands, but to also remove pathogens from certain areas in the home.

Our Sterillium® 2 in 1 wipes are ideal for quick surface disinfection – for example, disinfecting door handles, bathroom fittings or your desk. Of course, the viscose wipes are also perfect for on the go, disinfecting your smartphone or the handle of a shopping cart, for example.

Whenever particularly gentle surface disinfection is required at home, you can also reach for our our new Sterillium® surface spray. With its special formulation, the low-alcohol disinfectant spray is highly suitable for the rapid disinfection of sensitive materials such as monitors, acrylic glass, or smartphone displays.

Simply spray directly onto the surface and wipe with cloth. After one minute of exposure most viruses and bacteria are removed, and, after three minutes, more persistent pathogens, such as noroviruses, are also removed.