As a parent you have to deal with a sick family on a fairly regular basis. Many of the illnesses you will encounter are transmitted through the air so it can be really quite difficult to prevent them from spreading. You try to keep everything sprayed down with Lysol and you wipe down handles and other objects that get touched a lot. You do lots of laundry and pump your kids full of medicines to try to help them get better but try as you might your family falls ill one by one and some even get sick a second time. So what can you do that may actually stop the illness from spreading?

Lysol and Your Air Filter
When your family starts getting sick with an airborne illness be sure to check your air filter. If your family has recently gotten sick with something airborne your air filter could be holding onto pathogens that can get recycled into the air when the AC kicks on. Replace the filter if its old and needs to be replaced anyway, or if its rather new, spray it down with Lysol or some other disinfecting spray. If possible allow it to dry in the sun then spray it down again before you replace it in your air system. If you're putting in a new filter at the beginning of an illness outbreak you should still Lysol it before putting it in. Check the filter every couple days and maybe spray it again if it feels dry. The spray will stay in the filter and kill bacteria and viruses as they pass through the filter, helping to cut down on the transmission of illness through the air. HEPA filters are also great for helping to cut down on airborne pathogens with or without lysoling the filter.

Masks
Masks are annoying, and can make it difficult to breathe but are actually, not surprisingly, a great way to help cut down on the spread of illness. You can either have the sick person wear it or wear one yourself when attending to the sick individual. Be sure to use a new mask each day, or when the mask you've been using becomes significantly damp. A damp mask is less effective at protecting you from airborne illness.

Sick Room
During periods of illness try to keep the sick family members away from the healthy ones. Whenever possible, keep the sick people in the same room to help cut down on cleaning after people start feeling better.

Toy Room
If you're dealing with sick children you know its almost impossible to keep them confined to one room. They will almost always end up wanting to play, and if those toys don't get cleaned occasionally they can be what keeps your family getting sick over and over again. So be sure to spray or wipe down your child's toys and toy room to help cut down on illness. Also, if your child still sleeps in a crib you may want to wipe that down too. If your child likes to rub their face on the edge of their bed, or bite it they can definitely end up getting themselves sick again.