You know the drill. You wake up for work and your throat is sore, you are coughing your head off, and you feel like you’ve been hit by a Mac truck. You certainly feel bad enough to stay home, but you know that there are things to do at your job so you go in anyways.
Maybe you think that you are doing your coworkers a favor by not making them do your work for the day. How would it make you feel to know that by trying to do the right thing, you are actually doing one of the worst things to your friends at work?
People want to know: am I contagious? Well, that depends on the root cause of your problem. In general, if you are sneezing or coughing due to a respiratory infection, then you most definitely are contagious. As a matter of fact, each sneeze can release bacteria- or virus-filled particles up to six feet around you, making everyone you encounter a target. The nature of your illness (bacterial, viral, or fungal) determines how far the germs spread. We also spread germs by touching our noses, eyes, and mouths throughout the course of the day and then touching other items.
Surprisingly, the toilet and other fixtures in the bathroom area are often the cleanest because they get the most attention. Germs are more commonly spread at the workplace through items that are regularly handled by many people but seldom cleaned. Think about an office phone, computer, tools, or light switch. When is the last time those got sanitized? Probably never.
Generally speaking, if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, you are contagious one day before symptoms start (can’t do anything about that one) and continue spreading germs for up to one week after you get sick. When someone in the workplace gets sick with a common condition, it’s a good idea to take a simple precaution to keep it from making the r
ounds. Wash your hands with warm water and soap! Do it for 15-20 seconds. Need a timer? Sing “Happy Birthday” to yourself while you do it. Of course, handwashing is something everyone should do year-round, but especially during cold and flu season.
So, when do you stay home and when do you go on in to work? The best advice is to consider your symptoms. If you have a small tickle in your throat or a stuffy nose, you should be able to go into work if you are careful around others. If they are allergy related, you are 100 percent fine as seasonal allergies are not contagious. If you are coughing or sneezing quite a bit, consider staying home. Avoid work altogether if you are vomiting or have diarrhea.
Also consider your workplace. Do you work around only a few people with healthy immune systems or do you work around lots of elderly, sick, or children?
No one likes to admit that they are sick. We all want to power through and get our lives back to some semblance of normalcy. However, the facts are that if you continually push yourself, you are only delaying your recovery time and putting others at risk unnecessarily.
Get your rest, drink lots of fluids, and take all medications as prescribed by your physician. Simply put, if you feel miserable, stay home. That being said, I do not give sick excuses for work/school via email.
Stay safe out there.
