Cold and Flu Season

The holidays have come and gone, but another season of sharing continues—cold and flu season. In the cold and wet winter weather, people huddle together, close off ventilation from the elements, and share germs with one another. It is not surprising that people are more susceptible to catching a cold (stuffy nose, sneezing, congestion, and sore throat) and the flu (severe cold-like symptoms, fever, headaches, aches & pains, and extreme exhaustion) this time of year.

Cold and flu bugs are not only transmitted through the air, but they can also lurk on the surfaces of everyday items. Hands are one of the biggest transmitters of germs. On average, a worker touches as many as 30 objects every 60 seconds. Just consider all of the shared surface items that office workers touch every day: door handles, elevator buttons, copy machines, vending machine buttons, water coolers, faucet handles. Some cold and flu viruses have been known to survive on shared surfaces for several hours.

Germ Warfare

Workers can control the spread of illness-causing germs and protect themselves against colds and flu by following some simple tips:

• Get a flu shot
• Avoid close contact with those who are sick
• Avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth to avoid germ transfer
• Cover your nose and mouth to contain each cough and sneeze
• Wash hands often - each time for 20 seconds, with soap and warm water
• Use alcohol-based antibacterial hand sanitizer or wipes if you do not have easy access to soap and water
• Take extra good care of yourself at home: get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, and eat healthy
• Stay home when sick to prevent spreading the illness to others

These are some of the many steps you can take to reduce the chance of illness, and in doing so, diminish the worry about the inevitability of illness this cold and flu season.

More information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/workplace/index.htm