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The Flu Goes to Work
Stay healthy or stay at home
by Rich Maloof for MSN Health & Fitness
Nearly every adult in America has had a bout with the flu. And once you get knocked
down by influenza, you’re flat on your back.
No single malady keeps more people out of work, and even the combined muscle of big
business, science and government hasn’t been enough to crush this microscopic
troublemaker. Vaccines have progressed in flu prevention, but the closest weve seen to a
Find More
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Reality
Check: Flu
Next time you’re in the midst of a self-diagnosis, wondering whether you should spend
Vaccines
the day at work or with Oprah, consider the facts.
Clearing Up
Flu Misconceptions
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cure is chicken soup and a hug.
How do you know its the flu?
More on Cold
and Flu ...
The term flu is tossed around casually enough to confuse what actually qualifies as an
influenza infection. There is no real stomach flu, for instance, and while the flu shares some symptoms with the
common cold, they are very different viruses. Far more than a case of the sniffles, influenza typically comes on
with a miserable mixture of fever, chills and body aches. The onset of a high temperature101 degrees to 102
degrees Fahrenheit in adults, and higher for children’s sudden, and the patient can hardly bear to stand upright.
And the flu bug is just getting started. Because its a disease of the respiratory tract (nose/mouth to lungs), flu is
also characterized by coughing, stuffy nose and sore throat. The cough, dry and unproductive in early flu stages,
is believed to be the result of fragile tissue being destroyed in the trachea.
Abdominal pain and nausea are less common, except in children, and everyone can expect a painfully pounding
headache, especially after a coughing fit or in response to light. Other fun stuff includes pink eye and the requisite
runny nose. The medical term for runny nose is rhinorrhea. Tell your boss you have a contagious case of
rhinorrhea, and see how quickly that gets you a day pass.
That’s the flu. Once you know these symptoms, its hard to miss. But if you’re too groggy to diagnose yourself, call
the office and tell them you’re going to see a doctor. Let your GP decide if you should go in to work. You may
need a physicians note anyway, and a formal diagnosis removes any skepticism on the part of your employer.
How the flu spreads
Like all viruses, influenza needs a host in order to survive and multiply. The flu spreads from one person to
another when tiny droplets of contaminated saliva are airborne by a cough or a sneeze. Hanging in the air, they
find a new home when inhaled into an unsuspecting host.
Flu virus can also survive for several hours on a surfacea telephone handset, a copying machine, a doorknob, a
screwdriver before a host comes along, gets the virus on his or her hands and then internalizes the virus by
touching the eyes, nose or mouth.
Its possible to pass the flu along 24 hours before you even exhibit symptoms. The virus has a quick incubation
period, and most people will fall ill within one to three days of becoming infected. You may still be contagious up
to a week after symptoms first set in (a few days longer for children). In otherwise healthy adults, influenza lasts
between seven and 14 days, with at least three days of severe symptoms.
Concern for coworkers
Sometimes lets be realistic here you just cant be absent. Driven by pressure or by passion, many people will opt to
go to work even with telltale flu signs like fever, aches and congestion. But these stalwarts do a double disservice:
They worsen their own condition by robbing the body of needed rest, and they risk exposing coworkers to
infection.
Frequently quoted statistics claim an average 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 die from flu-related
complications every season. What’s important to understand about these frightening numbers is that the majority
are in high-risk groups who suffer complications (thus flu-related) from the virus. For instance, a large percentage
is made up of older people who die when their flu develops into pneumonia. Anyone who goes to work sick needs
to consider who, exactly, he or she might be exposing to germs. (See a list of high-risk groups here.)
Some industries are by definition populated with people at high risk. Be overly cautious if you work in health care,
in a nursing home, in a school or in food preparation.
Better business
Many businesses have responsible plans for keeping workers healthy. Strategies include maintaining a healthy
work environment (adequate ventilation, alcohol-based hand sanitizers), work-at-home policies with equipment for
telecommuting, and cross-training to cover the duties of absent employees. More than half the nations employers
offer a workplace flu-shot program as well.
By protecting employees, employers protect the bottom line. Outside of chronic conditions, influenza is the No. 1
cause of work loss in the U.S. Work absences from flu tend to hit in clusters, some years emptying office seats and
factory stations at alarming rates. In a bad flu season, 15 percent of the workforce may become sick, with average
absences of two to three days per worker, plus another day or two at less-than-normal productivity. Whether
battling lingering symptoms or in a medicated fog, employees on the mend simply cant operate to their potential.
Working below capacity is known as presenteeism (If you’re not here, raise your hand), and represents another
significant liability to employers.
Flu vaccines help stem the tide of costs associated with health care, absenteeism and presenteeism. In a study
published last year by David Cutler, a Harvard health economist, showed that vaccinating healthy workers resulted
in 43 percent fewer sick days and 44 percent fewer outpatient visits. Pulling out for a wider view, Cutler estimated
that the nation’s total economic burden of flu in 2004 would total over $20 billion.
No-nonsense tips
Finally, a few ideas you can use and share in the workplace to help stop the spread of flu germs:
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If you know you’re sick with the flu, stay home.
Get a flu shot, which not only protects you but helps prevent contagion.
Within a day of becoming ill, ask your doctor about antiviral medications, which can shorten the episode
and contain the virus.
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Be especially cautious between late December and early March, the peak of flu season.
Sneeze or cough into your elbow, not into your hands.
Clean phones, doorknobs and desktops with alcohol swabs.
Throw used tissues away!
Wash your hands and face often with hot, soapy water.
During flu season, never let anyone lick your keyboard.