Influenza season is here and it’s time to take precautionary measures to keep ourselves and those around us healthy and safe from infection. Ensuring you get a flu vaccine and practicing proper hand hygiene will help protect you and those around you, including your borrowers. Influenza poses a greater risk to certain people like pregnant women, children and elders – they are all at high risk for flu-related complications.
This year's strain of influenza is hitting people harder and the virus is lasting longer and has resulted in more hospitalizations and deaths than in previous years. I have taken extra precautions this year that I would like to pass on to my fellow notaries.
1. I am carrying hand sanitizers and bleach wipes in my notary bag and using them often to wipe my hands, wipe off pens, and wipe down tables and chairs in public places where I may be meeting clients.
2. When going to the grocery store, I bleach wipe my cart out, especially the handles. I have started wearing a thin pair of gloves to protect myself against germs left behind on freezer doors, and that little machine at the check out counter where you punch the buttons and sign using the hanging pen that has probably never been sanitized.
3. This last one was a hard one for me to implement because I did not want to offend anyone, yet I felt a strong need to try not to spread any germs around. Influenza can be deadly to babies, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. I would hate to spread germs around and get someone else sick. So with careful consideration, and trying it out on a few of my friends, business associates, and fellow local notaries, we came up with the following and so far it has gone over quite well. During my confirmation call to the borrowers, I add the following:
"This year's influenza season seems worse than previous years, and due to the fact that I am in and out of five to seven homes per day doing loan closings, this year I am asking all my borrowers if anyone in your family has recently had influenza or is ill with it now. I would never want to bring germs into your home or anyone else's home that would cause you or a family member to become ill. I am just trying to do my part to help keep everyone safe from getting sick this year".
I was a bit apprehensive at first to ask this, but I have to say everyone has been quite thankful that I am taking the extra precautions to keep everyone safe. I just wanted to pass this information on to my fellow notaries in the hopes that you might find it useful.
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