Protect yourself and others from getting and spreading respiratory illnesses like pandemic flu.

Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) are actions, apart from getting vaccinated and taking medicine, that people and communities can take to help slow the spread of illnesses like pandemic influenza (flu). NPIs are also known as community mitigation strategies. When a new flu virus spreads among people, causing illness worldwide, it is called pandemic flu. Because a pandemic flu virus is new, the human population has little or no immunity against it. This allows the virus to spread quickly from person to person worldwide. NPIs are among the best ways of controlling pandemic flu when vaccines are not yet available.

Protect yourself and your family from respiratory illnesses like pandemic flu.

Getting the flu vaccine every year is the best way to prevent seasonal flu. Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) can also help people protect themselves and others from getting and spreading the flu. NPIs are especially important during outbreaks of pandemic flu.

A pandemic flu outbreak occurs when a new flu virus appears among people. Because it is a new virus, people have little or no immunity to it. This allows the virus to spread quickly from person to person around the world. It may take months before an effective vaccine is developed.

• What you can do personally (Personal NPIs): Stay home when you are sick. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Wash your hands often with soap and water.
• What communities can do (Community NPIs): Implement social distancing interventions in schools, workplaces, and at events.
• What everyone can do to keep the environment germ-free (Environmental NPIs) : Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects like door knobs.
• CDC provides educational resources and training on how to incorporate personal, community, and environmental NPIs into your pandemic flu plans.

The actions you take and plans you make today make a difference. Here are some important steps for protecting yourself and others from getting and spreading the flu at home:

1. Staying home when you are sick.

What to do:

Stay home so that you avoid spreading germs to others.

How long should I stay home?

• If you get flu -like symptoms without a fever, stay home after you get sick to lower the chances of spreading your illness to others.
• If you have a fever, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicines, such as acetaminophen. This will help ensure that your fever is truly gone and you are past the point of being contagious.
• Children and people with weakened immune systems may need to stay home longer.

Why is this important?

Your body needs rest to recover from illness. It can take longer to feel better when you do not rest. You can spread the flu virus up to 24 hours after symptoms subside. People with weakened immune systems often need even more time to recover and to stop being contagious.

2. Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.

What to do:

• If you or your child gets flu -like symptoms without a fever, stay home after you get sick to lower the chances of spreading your illness to others.
• Stay at least 3 feet away from sick people when possible.
• Tell your employer if you get sick. If possible, those who are at high risk for flu complications should avoid attending meetings or events in person if they are sick.

* During a flu pandemic *

• Avoid places where people gather, such as meetings, concerts, festivals, and sporting events, especially if you are at high risk for flu complications.
• Seek alternative ways to participate in gatherings, such as watching them on television or online, so that you can avoid face-to-face contact with people who may be sick.

Why is this important?

Droplets containing flu virus can travel at least 3 feet, so keeping this distance from sick people can help lower your chance of becoming ill.

3. Covering your coughs and sneezes.

What to do:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Throw away the used tissue, and then wash your hands.

* During a flu pandemic *

You may choose to wear a facemask when you are sick to help lower the chances of spreading illness to others.

Why is this important?

Covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue helps prevent the spread of the flu virus through the air and on your hands.

4. Washing your hands.

What to do:

• Wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water.
• If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Why is this important?

Washing your hands lowers the amount of flu virus that can spread when you shake someone’s hands or touch surfaces and objects, such as desks and doorknobs. It is especially important to wash your hands before and after touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

5. Cleaning frequently touched surfaces and objects.

What to do:

Clean surfaces and objects that are touched frequently, including desks, doorknobs, railings, computer keyboards, phones, and toys.

Does cleaning with soap and water remove the flu virus?

• Yes, soap and water are all you need to remove the flu virus.
• You can also use a bleach-and-water solution or disinfectant with a label that says “EPA approved” for killing bacteria and viruses. Always follow directions on product labels.

Why is this important?

The flu virus can remain on surfaces for up to 48 hours. Cleaning surfaces and objects that are frequently touched lowers the amount of flu virus that can be spread when you touch an infected surface and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.

6. Being prepared and informed.

What to do:

• Get a seasonal flu vaccination.
• Keep informed about your local flu situation.
• Keep informed about your child’s school and childcare attendance policies.
• Know your employer’s sick-leave policies.

* During a flu pandemic *

• Make plans for what to do in the event that your local public health department or local school district recommends closing schools or canceling events.
• Get a pandemic flu vaccination as soon as it becomes available in your area.

Why is this important?

Knowing what precautions to take and where to go to get credible information will help you make plans for protecting yourself and others.

What are personal nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)?

Personal NPIs are everyday preventive actions, apart from pharmaceutical interventions such as getting vaccinated and taking medicine that can help keep yourself and others from getting and spreading respiratory illnesses like the flu. They include:

• Staying home when you are sick.
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
• Washing hands with soap and water or using hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available.

During a flu pandemic there are measures you can take in addition to these everyday preventive actions. They include:

• Staying home if you have been exposed to a family or household member who is sick.
• Covering your nose and mouth with a mask or cloth if you are sick and around people or at a mass gathering in a community where the pandemic is already occurring.

Public health professionals need the help of administrators for schools, workplaces, and community events to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses like pandemic flu in their area. Educating and reminding people to take these everyday preventive actions consistently at home, at school, at work, and at a gathering is an important part of an organization’s or community’s strategy for minimizing the risks caused by flu and other respiratory illnesses.

Also see how community NPIs and environmental NPIs contribute to an overall community strategy for pandemic influenza mitigation.

The actions you take and plans you make today matter. To ensure the greatest impact, CDC recommends that communities and organizations incorporate a combination of personal, community, and environmental NPIs into their pandemic flu plans.

Why are personal NPIs important?

The flu virus is believed to spread mainly from person to person through droplets that come from the nose and mouth when a sick person coughs, sneezes, or talks. The flu virus may also spread when people touch something with flu virus on it, and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. Many other viruses that cause respiratory illnesses spread this way, too.

While getting an annual flu vaccination is the best way to prevent seasonal flu, personal NPIs are simple everyday preventive actions that people can take to help lower their risk of coming in contact with flu and other similar viruses. These everyday preventive actions serve as an extra layer of protection even after people are vaccinated.

In the event that a new flu virus emerges that can rapidly spread from person to person worldwide, causing a flu pandemic, a vaccine may not be immediately available. During a pandemic, personal NPIs become some of the most important ways that individuals can protect themselves and others from the flu.

Visit other parts of this website to learn about ways people can protect themselves and others from getting and spreading the flu at home, at school, at work, and at a gathering.

What are community nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)?

Community NPIs are policies and strategies, apart from pharmaceutical interventions such as vaccination and medical treatment delivery methods, that organizations and communities put into place to help slow the spread of illness during an infectious disease outbreak, such as pandemic flu. Two of the most commonly used community NPIs include:

• Social distancing: Creating ways to increase distance between people in settings where people commonly come into close contact with one another. Specific priority settings include schools, workplaces, events, meetings, and other places where people gather.
• Closures: Temporarily closing child care centers, schools, places of worship, sporting events, concerts, festivals, conferences, and other settings where people gather.

Why are community NPIs important?

Annual flu vaccinations are the best way for people to prevent seasonal flu. However, if a new flu virus emerges that can rapidly spread from person to person worldwide, causing a flu pandemic, a vaccine may not be immediately available.

This makes planning and working together even more important for a community. Social distancing and closures interventions, while difficult to plan and carry out, can be the most effective ways that a community can protect itself from a pandemic’s negative impact.

The actions you take and plans you make today matter. To ensure the greatest impact, CDC recommends that communities and organizations incorporate a combination of personal, community, and environmental NPIs into their pandemic flu plans.

Community NPIs, like social distancing and closures, require careful planning and coordination. Public health professionals, planners, and leaders need to work together to help reduce the risk to their organizations and community from respiratory illnesses like pandemic flu. Recommendations include:

• Connecting. Collaborate with other professionals, leaders, and administrators in different settings to identify challenges and how they can be overcome in your community.
• Planning. When planning for social distancing and closures, seek ideas for what has worked well in the past or could be improved next time. By gathering data, you can identify strategies for making these interventions work smoothly and with as little disruption as possible to your organization or community.
• Sharing. Communicate what you have tried and the obstacles you have faced so that other organizations and communities can also benefit from the work you have done.

What are environmental nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)?

Environmental NPIs include routine surface cleaning that helps to eliminate the flu virus from frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as toys, refrigerator handles, desks, and door knobs in homes, childcare facilities, schools, workplaces, and other settings where people regularly gather.

Public health professionals need the help of administrators of schools, workplaces, and community events to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses like pandemic flu in their area. Educating and reminding people to clean frequently touched surfaces and objects consistently at home, at school, at work, and at large gatherings are an important part of an organization’s or community’s strategy for minimizing the risks caused by flu and other respiratory illnesses.

Also see how personal NPIs and community NPIs can contribute to an overall strategy for community mitigation of pandemic flu.

The actions you take and plans you make today matter. To ensure the greatest impact, CDC recommends that communities and organizations incorporate a combination of personal, community, and environmental NPIs into their pandemic flu plans.

Why are environmental NPIs important?

The flu virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person through droplets that come from the nose and mouth when a sick person coughs, sneezes, or talks. The flu virus also may spread when people touch contaminated surfaces or objects, and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. Many other viruses that cause respiratory illnesses spread this way, too.

The flu virus can live and potentially infect other people for up to 48 hours after being left behind on a surface. Although the flu virus can survive on hands for only 3 to 5 minutes, if other people later touch a contaminated surface and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth, they can be exposed to the flu.

While getting an annual flu vaccination is the best way to prevent seasonal flu, environmental NPIs are simple everyday preventive actions that people take to help lower their risk of coming in contact with flu and other similar viruses on surfaces. Routine surface cleaning acts as an extra layer of protection even after people are vaccinated.

In the event that a new flu virus emerges that can rapidly spread from person to person worldwide, causing a flu pandemic, a vaccine may not be immediately available. During a pandemic, routine surface cleaning becomes an important way that individuals can protect themselves and others from the flu.