6 Ways to Fight the Flu You Probably Overlooked
According to the CDC, influenza sends
hundreds of thousands of Americans to the hospital every year. Here's how to make sure you don't follow them this year.
By Dr. Mehmet Oz
Photo: PeopleImages/istock
3 of 6
Scrub like a surgeon.
Surgeons are famous for washing their hands thoroughly. In medical school, I had to wash mine for at least five minutes before going into the operating room. You don't have to invest that much time, but you need more than a quick rinse to make sure you're getting the flu off your hands (the virus can live outside the body for up to eight hours). Here's a trick to make sure you're washing long enough: Take a ballpoint pen and draw an X across your palms. Soap your hands and wash them until the Xs are completely gone. How long did that take? Now try to match that time whenever you're at the sink.
From the
December 2015 issue of
O, The Oprah Magazine
