Scared of spreading the flu? Simply staying inside and watching the TV has now been linked to helping combat the outbreak, according to new findings.

While flu vaccinations and medicines are beneficial when it comes to tackling the symptoms and preventing particular types being caught, avoiding interaction with others is more helpful when it comes to stopping the spread.

An experiment carried out at the University of California, Arizona State University, Georgia State University and Yale University concluded that these non-pharmaceutical measures, staying at home away from healthy folk, are just as effective as other preventative measures, like the flu jab.

Researchers also believe that actions such as closing schools, cancelling public events and even public venues such as cinemas would be relevant control strategies to stop flu from taking over.

These conclusions come after the swine flu outbreak in Mexico in 2009, which saw the government carry out similar procedures. People who were sat at home during the time watching television were monitored on their behavioural responses.

Lead author of the study, economist Michael Springborn, found that those at home limited their interaction with others, resulting in the virus spreading less. But it isn't quite that simple.

“We found that the behavioural response to the outbreak was initially strong but waned sooner than expected,” he said.

“This dynamic is interpreted as a rebound effect.”

Professor Springborn found that people left their house after a period of being stuck at home, indicating that it isn’t common for sufferers to avoid others at all times.

“This suggests that efforts to utilise social distancing to mitigate disease spread may have a limited window of efficacy, before pent up demand for activities outside the home takes precedence,” he added.

“The swine flu outbreak that hit Mexico City in April 2009 could have been worse, but spread of the virus was reduced by people's behavioural response of distancing themselves from each other.”

Other aspects were taken into account, such as wealth and age groups. Those with children and money were more likely to stay indoors, whereas those from poorer backgrounds felt more pressure to go to work in order to earn money.

Overall, people should also carry out simple tasks to prevent flu from spreading, such as washing hands thoroughly. And it is strongly recommended to stay at home until the virus has fully left the system, as you're at risk of passing it on if venturing out too soon.

The study was published in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases.

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