The Flu or Not The Flu???

Nearly every adult in America has had a bout with the flu. And once you get knocked down by influenza, you're flat on your back. No single malady keeps more people out of work. Vaccines have progressed in flu prevention, but the closest we've seen to a cure is chicken soup and a hug. Next time you're in the midst of a self-diagnosis, wondering whether you should spend the day at work or with Oprah, consider the facts. How do you know it's the flu? The term flu is tossed around casually enough to confuse what actually qualifies as an influenza infection. There is no real stomach flu, for instance, and while the flu shares some symptoms with the common cold, they are very different viruses. Far more than a case of the sniffles, influenza typically comes on with a miserable mixture of fever, chills and body aches. The onset of a high temperature101 degrees to 102 degrees Fahrenheit in adults is sudden, and the patient can hardly bear to stand upright. Abdominal pain and nausea are less common, except in children, and everyone can expect a painfully pounding headache, especially after a coughing fit or in response to light. Other fun stuff includes pink eye and the requisite runny nose. The medical term for runny nose is rhinorrhea. Tell your boss you have a contagious case of rhinorrhea, and see how quickly that gets you a day pass. That's the flu. Once you know these symptoms, it's hard to miss. But if you're too groggy to diagnose yourself, call the office and tell them you're going to see a doctor. You may need a physician's note anyway, and a formal diagnosis removes any skepticism on the part of your employer. How the flu spreads Like all viruses, influenza needs a host in order to survive and multiply. The flu spreads from one person to another when tiny droplets of contaminated saliva are airborne by a cough or a sneeze. Hanging in the air, they find a new home when inhaled into an unsuspecting host. Flu virus can also survive for several hours on a surface—telephone handset, a copying machine, a doorknob, a screwdriver—before a host comes along, gets the virus on his or her hands and then internalizes the virus by touching the eyes, nose or mouth. The virus has a quick incubation period, and most people will fall ill within one to three days of becoming infected. In otherwise healthy adults, influenza lasts between seven and 14 days, with at least three days of severe symptoms. No-nonsense tips

• Finally, a few ideas you can use and share in the workplace to help stop the spread of flu germs or any other germs:
• If you know you're sick with the flu, stay home.
• Get a flu shot, which not only protects you but helps prevent contagion.
• Within a day of becoming ill, ask your doctor about antiviral medications, which can shorten the episode and contain the virus.
• Be especially cautious between late December and early March, the peak of flu season.
• Sneeze or cough into your elbow, not into your hands.
• Clean phones, doorknobs and desktops with alcohol swabs.
• Throw used tissues away!
• Wash your hands and face often with hot, soapy water.

In a bad flu season, 15 percent of the workforce may become sick, with average absences of two to three days per worker, plus another day or two at less-than-normal productivity. Whether battling lingering symptoms or in a medicated fog, employees on the mend simply can't operate to their potential.