All staff must wear a mask when caring for possible flu patients, and staff members who have not been vaccinated must wear a mask while caring for any patient.

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So, to make life easier for the sick, the school's medical center has distributed what it calls a "flu kit, " which includes a mask and a home-care instruction sheet, Denning said.

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It seems unlikely that a smartphone application, as opposed to more tried-and-tested methods like vaccination or a face mask, could help you avoid going down with a dose of the flu this winter.

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All staff must wear a mask when providing care for possible flu cases.

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Although it's not known for sure how much benefit a surgical mask has in preventing the transmission of swine flu, people who have the illness may consider wearing one as a way to reduce the amount they cough and sneeze onto others, said Dr. Arthur Reingold, head of the epidemiology division at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health.

CNN: Masks keep you from spreading illness

The take-home message is this: Use a surgical mask when you are traveling to areas that have reported cases of swine flu and bring an additional one to give to anyone near you who forgot one or appears to be sick and is coughing or sneezing.

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