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Pitsel Pandemic News (01|22|09)

When Do You Stay Home Sick? And an H5N1 Update

Books of matches are things of the past. At one time they were available everywhere and could be purchased for a penny, but were usually given out free as an advertising gift with a company name or logo. The match itself is actually a very ingenious device. From the beginning of a small match head can result a conflagration of unimaginable benefit or destruction.

A match head is made up of two chemicals. In the case of "safety matches" one chemical is in the head of the match and the other is in the strike plate. The friction of scraping the two chemicals together causes them to unite, and produces combustion. You see where this is going, don't you.

Since we last reported new flu cases of H5N1, China now has confirmed three human deaths from the H5N1 virus in two weeks. Indonesia is also reporting two new H5N1 influenza deaths as well. China, with the world's biggest poultry population, and hundreds of millions of backyard birds, is seen as critical in the fight to contain bird flu.

China is stepping up bird-flu precautions as a result of these infections, the first in humans in China since 2007. The virus spreads more quickly in cold weather, and February 1st. marks Chinese New Year. An estimated 188 million Chinese in the next week are expected to travel between cities and rural hometowns for Lunar New Year feasts which often include dishes made from freshly slaughtered chicken and duck.

You can see, like the match, all the ingredients are present and ready for striking. The virus, the host, the mutation are in proximity for the ignition.

The self-care reminder this week is from "When Is It Time to Call in Sick and Stay Home From Work?", by Trisha Torrey. To protect your own well-being, and that of your co-workers, stayng at home when you're sick is very important, heroic even. Remember, it's not all about you. No. Really it's not. You're really doing this for the good of others. You should get a raise.

Here are some guidelines:

FEVER: If your temperature is 100.5 F or higher, then stay home. Don't return to office or school until 24 hours after the fever is gone. A fever is one of the clearest signs of contagious illness.

COUGH: If your cough brings up mucus or phlegm-type secretions, then stay home. A dry cough is OK for the office, but whatever type of cough, cough or sneeze into a tissue or into your arm, NOT into your hands, and keep your hands washed. Dispose of used tissues immediately (and not by tossing them over the side of the armchair onto the floor.)

RUNNY NOSE: If you are constantly blowing your nose to keep it clear, then stay home. If it's only slightly stuffy, and you aren't having trouble breathing, then it's probably alright to be at work.

EARACHE: Unless your job requires balance (bus driver, pilot, surgeon, life guard) an earache by itself won't pose a hazard to others. If it is accompanied by other symptoms of contagion, you'll need to stay home.

VOMITING: Stay home of course. Remain at home for an additional 24 hours once you have ceased.

DIARRHEA: Same guidelines as for vomiting.

RASHES: Contagious rashes like pink eye (conjunctivitis) require keeping your distance from others. Some rashes, like MRSA, can even be deadly if you give them to someone else. See your doctor to learn whether your rash is just a reaction to strawberries or whether you should stay away from school or work.

If you prepare food or spend time around the food others will eat, you will want to consider staying home long enough to be sure you can't contaminate that food.

If you are a healthcare worker, or spend time around others who have weakened immune systems, then you should stay home long enough to be sure you are no longer contagious.

Keep hands washed and sanitized so as not to pass on symptoms to other family members while you are home, or co-workers or classmates when you do return to school or work.

Bring this topic up for discussion at work. Everyone needs to be on the same page with the same level of awareness about cough and sneeze etiquette. These guidelines would make a good item for discussion at your next department or staff meeting. An understanding among co-workers could reduce infections significantly. If there is a common procedure at your workplace then no one has to be the one to bell the cat when the office walking plague (there's always one) shows up, once again, sniffling and coughing on everyone and acting very brave.

If you're taking the "Preparation Challenge" seriously (please, please) from the previous Pitsel Pandemic News, this would be WEEK #1, the porta-potty week, an easy challenge.

Stay well. Take care.

© 2009, Pitsel and Associates Ltd.
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