It’s February and the cases of the flu seem to be rapidly increasing. The reason the flu is spreading so quickly is not that people are unvaccinated, most are. It is because the infection is spreading through people going to school or work when sick. Some parents sent their child to school with the flu, sometimes unknowingly, and this passes it on to another child. Then that child passes it on to another…a vicious cycle. The spread of the flu is not limited to children, adults often don’t want to use sick days and will go into work with the flu virus. 

People may think they are doing the right thing, but every nurse will say that you should stay home when you are inflicted with the flu. A cold is entirely different, most people will go into work with a cold, even though it is similarly very contagious. However, you won’t hear cases of children or the elderly dying from the common cold. But with the flu, there are cases more often than it should be, with victims dying from the flu season. It is still referred to as an epidemic as thousands of people every year will pass away from the flu virus. 

Toughing It Out At Work Or School

Being sick is miserable enough, but being at work sick makes everyone around you miserable. If someone near you is suffering from a fever, a cough, sneezing, etc. others will worry about getting sick themselves. Not to mention all the contaminated surfaces that now exist from the infected person meandering around the office. While not everyone will want to take a week off of work to overcome the flu. Even taking 2 or 3 days off and starting Tamiflu is reasonable and respectful towards your coworkers who definitely don’t want the flu. You may work with someone who has a compromised immune system and not know it. 

So, even though you may want to tough out being sick at work, it really isn’t fair to those around you. A coworker who is pregnant or has a chronic health condition could be severely affected by getting the flu virus. This is truly about doing the right thing and preventing the spread of disease. This is why the flu season is often so deadly. 

How To Manage The Flu

If you or someone you know does have the flu, it’s important to get an early handle and prevent it from causing long-term complications, such as sinus infections or even sepsis. Once you start feeling those initial flu symptoms and you know it’s not a cold, it’s important to see your physician and start taking Tamiflu immediately. What nurses advise not to do is wait until your sickness is at an extreme level to where you are spreading germs everywhere and feeling absolutely awful. Delaying seeking treatment is the worst thing for you and does not help prevent the spread of disease. 

By avoiding treating your illness or waiting for it to go away on its own, this can lead to dangerous consequences, especially in children, pregnant women, senior citizens, and people with chronic health conditions. If you feel feverish, intense fatigue, and coughing, you should see your primary health provider immediately. 

If You Have Been Exposed

If you know you were exposed to someone who had the flu, you should practice particularly good hygiene, this includes washing your hands constantly, sneezing into your elbow, sleeping well, and monitoring your symptoms. If possible, you should avoid being around young children and anyone in a hospital or nursing home, as germs and viruses are already an issue there. 

For people that have had their annual flu vaccine, their odds of catching the virus are lower, although it is still possible to contract it. Since there are many strains of the virus and the flu vaccine is not perfect, it is important to take precautionary measures despite already having the flu shot. Carrying around anti-bacterial hand sanitizer is a must this time of year.