Rest at Home
February 2006

Adopt business/school practices that encourage sick employees/students to stay home and anticipate how to function with a significant portion of the workforce/school population absent due to illness or caring for ill family members.

Handwashing:

Still the best way to prevent the most common transmission germs? There are anywhere from 1,000,000 to 4,000,000 microorganisms on your hands at the cleanest moments in your day. That is if you wash your hands as frequently as you should. When should you wash your hands? The CDC recommends washing your hands before touching or eating any food, after using the bathroom, after playing with pets and after blowing your nose. Even if your hands look clean they can carry germs capable of spreading disease. What germs could be lurking on your hands if you forget to wash? Hepatitis A, salmonellosis, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and many, many more.

Cover Your Cough:

Covering your cough or sneeze is important in keeping respiratory infections isolated. There are many ways to cover your cough. One is with your hands. But remember you must wash your hands every time you cough or sneeze into them. Many schools in the area are teaching the students to cough into their sleeves to help decrease the hand-to-hand transmission of respiratory infections.

Get A Flu Vaccine:

On average, a person who comes down with the flu loses 2.8 days at work, meaning about 398 dollars in lost wages (based on previous studies and Labor Department statistics). "Flu vaccine is beneficial to healthy adults and may get them back to work sooner. However the priority should still address vaccinating more of the highest-risk people. When you look at vaccination of healthy adults, the bulk of economic benefit is decreased absenteeism; the benefit for the elderly is reduced medical costs and fewer complications that require hospitalization, that's something important we need to consider when we're allocating our resources." – Dr. Carolyn Bridges, at the federal Centers for Disease Control

In an average year, more than 100,000 Americans are hospitalized with the flu and about 20,000 die from flu-related complications, according to the CDC.

• Pregnant women
• Children 6-23 months of age
• Anyone with close contact of children under six months
• of age
• All people age 2-64 with chronic conditions including:

o respiratory illnesses (e.g. asthma, chronic bronchitis)
o cardiovascular illnesses (e.g. congenital heart conditions)
o metabolic diseases (e.g. diabetes)
o kidney disease (e.g. nephrosis)
o hemoglobinopathies (e.g. sickle cell disease)
o immunosuppression (e.g. HIV, on cancer chemotherapy, steroids)
o neurologic disorders (e.g. spinal cord injuries, seizures)

• All people age 65 or older
• Nursing home and long-term care residents
• Health care workers providing direct patient care

• Keep your distance at work and in public.
• Dispose of used tissues promptly and appropriately.
• Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes. They all provide a direct route for germs to enter your system.
• Keep stress at a manageable level, eat right and get enough sleep.
• Know the difference between a cold and the flu

(Please clip and save the following chart that describes symptoms, home treatment options and when to see your physician.)

• Fever lasting 3-4 days about 102-104°
• General aches and pains are extremely common and often severe
• Fatigue and weakness can last up to 2-3 weeks, periodically resulting in extreme exhaustion
• Cough, sore throat, chills, runny nose and headache are not uncommon
• Runny nose, red eyes, sneezing, sore throat, sinus congestion, dry cough, wet cough without wheezing or rapid breathing, low grade temperature, headache, general body aches

• A cold usually lasts about 1-2 weeks
• One symptom usually precedes the others, while coughing and sore throat may persist after others have disappeared
• Fever, headache and throat pain (young children may complain of stomach pain rather than throat pain)
• Swollen glands in the neck
• Bright red tonsils that may have white spots on them
• Some people develop a rash
• Stuffy or runny nose
• High fever (can be low-grade over age 3)
• Severe cough and/or wheezing*
• Shortness of breath or very fast rate of breathing*
• Bluish color of the lips or fingernails*
• Lethargy, irritability or listlessness*
• Lack of appetite/poor feeding
• Apnea*
• Sore throat (typical from age 3 – adult)
• Headache
*typical for infants less than age 3

• Plug in a cool mist vaporizer or take a hot, steamy shower
• Drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration drives your fever higher
• Go to bed earlier than usual. This reduces stress and helps fight the infection
• Drink plenty of liquids. Warm fluids will help relieve congestion
• Use disposable tissues-reduces spread of virus.
• Petroleum jelly helps a sore nose
• Use nasal decongestant sprays for only three days or less. Longer use may actually increase irritation
• Do not attempt home treatment if you suspect strep throat. Contact your physician immediately
• Complete all prescribed medications in full
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Use a cool mist vaporizer
• Use saline nose drops
• Use non-aspirin fever medicine
• Wash hands frequently/avoid touching face/eyes
• Avoid public areas during RSV outbreaks
• Get plenty of rest

• If you are over the age of 65 or have a history of respiratory problems or chronic diseases, such as heart disease or diabetes
• If you develop shortness of breath, painful breathing, earaches, pain around your eyes or cheekbones or bad sore throat
• If you seem to get better, then get worse again
• If signs of pneumonia, bronchitis or other upper respiratory complications develop:

o increased coughing, difficulty breathing,
o high fever, ear pain, facial pain or chest pain

• If symptoms persist beyond the typical duration of a cold (one or two weeks)
• If your child has symptoms of strep throat, especially if someone in your
• family or in your child’s school has recently had a strep infection
• When you or your child develop any of the symptoms associated with strep throat (see above)
• If your child has moderate difficulty breathing indicated by breathing 40-60 times per minute
• Tires quickly during feeding/loss of appetite
• Uses muscles in the stomach, neck or chest when breathing or if wheezing occurs
• Has an unusual color. Skin becomes slightly gray or lacelike purple and pale while tongue, gums and lips remain pink
• Excessive tiredness and lack of appetite
• If child is less than 3 months old and fever greater than 100.4°
• If signs of dehydration appear

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Last Updated May 22, 2006
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