The flu is a serious health concern with an estimated 37 to 42 million flu illnesses last year alone.¹  It can have a significant impact on businesses, resulting in time off work, losses to production as well as pressure and costs on health and social care services. Although it is not possible to predict what this flu season will be like this year, Ecolab knows that protection starts with prevention. In a hospital environment, prevention is especially important because patients are often more susceptible to influenza.