’Tis the season for snivels, sneezing, runny noses and hoarse coughing.
Between friends, family and co-workers, you don’t have to look far to see someone straining to defeat the grips of some strain of a seasonal bug.
But is it just me, or does it seem more people than usual are fighting the cold and/or flu, which also appears to be lingering for longer?
Maybe it’s just the cold cloud I’ve been trapped under for the past two months (making me a little more than bahum-buggish), or the fact that I sit in an office infected with more germ-stricken workers than a playground of preschoolers (on top of the fact that I have a preschooler who brings home her own collection of germs).
But I can’t help but believe that we are seeing more sick people because of the economy.
A study from Queens University found 83 per cent of people will go to work when they have symptoms of the cold and flu. Despite the fact that we all know we should stay home when we are sick, many of us can’t afford to (whether it be fear of losing a day’s wage or losing our job or just the pressure to perform). While we have good intentions to get our work done, by coming into work sick we are in effect slowing productivity of the entire operation as we spread our germs and infect others. And while I’m no doctor, I would suggest that by not staying home to rest, we are in effect hindering our own immune system’s ability to fight off the illness – which in turn makes us sick longer.
Therefore with so many working sick out there, the spread of illness is increased, and there are more and more people fighting the cold/flu.
In fact, the Public Health Agency of Canada’s weekly flu watch reports that there are more Canadians fighting the flu.
Based on the numbers for Dec. 9 to 15 (week 50) the percentage of positive influenza tests increased from 18.2 per cent in week 49 to 24.2 per cent in week 50. That could just be an indication that we are becoming more entrenched in the cold/flu season (which runs between October and May).
I’m not sure how much stock I put in these numbers as they only reflect the reported illnesses, and, in some cases, only the lab-confirmed cases.
I would be tempted to more than triple the reported numbers, considering the majority of people will suffer through a flu without ever visiting a doctor.
So if you’re one of the lucky ones who has managed to steer clear of the seasonal bugs, you’re probably already doing everything right – washing your hands, exercising, eating healthy, getting enough rest, washing your hands, not touching your face, getting your flu shot and, did I mention, washing your hands?
– Jennifer Smith is a reporter for the Vernon Morning Star.
