Fall and respiratory viruses go hand-in-hand. The minute the weather turns cool outside, and people head inside, we will see colds and flu start. In Wisconsin, we tend to see respiratory viruses spread from October through March, with our peak happening between January and February. Currently, the health department is already being notified about cases of Influenza, RSV, and COVID-19, not to mention enterovirus and rhinovirus. It’s inevitable. One day, you’re going to wake up sick.
How many times have you woken up feeling sick, and all you want to do is go back to bed and rest, but you know there is a lot on your plate at work? Your throat is scratchy, your nose is running, and your eyes are watering. You try to convince yourself that it’s just seasonal allergies, and you hop in the shower. Only after you step out of the shower you don’t feel any better. This sparks the internal debate of whether you should go to work or stay home. You want to stay home and rest, but you have people to see and appointments to keep, and that paperwork is due next week!
Deciding to stay home can be difficult, but it can be made easier by considering a few important things. We often think about leaving our co-workers high and dry if we are sick. Someone may have to answer a question on our behalf or even help out with our job. However, rarely do we ponder what the effect of coming to work sick might be. We seldom think about how our co-workers may feel if we come to work sick. If a co-worker has a weakened immune system or an autoimmune condition, they may be more susceptible to getting sick. Maybe that cold you have shared will cost them three days of their sick time. You never truly know the life your co-workers have outside of the workplace. They could be caring for small children or older adults, which puts them at risk.
An important thing to remember when feeling ill is that you are typically most contagious in the first 24 hours. Even if you don’t have a busy day at work and you have your own office, remember that you may be sneezing, coughing, blowing your nose, touching door handles, and using public restrooms and break rooms. Germs spread fast. When you’re not feeling well, your body tells you to rest. Stay home. Rest up, drink plenty of fluids, wash your hands frequently, and cover your cough and sneeze. Try to put away those feelings of guilt and lay low. Your work will get done, and sick time can be taken. Help keep the workplace well.
