Influenza in Ontario
The flu generally hits Canada between October and May with a peak period around February.
It is likely that as cold weather outdoors arrives, we spend more time indoors and in closer contact with each other. Dry air tends to irritate the mucous membranes around the eyes and in the nose making them more susceptible to infiltration by flu viruses, and with more nose blowing coming in from outdoors and sneezing (spraying effect) due to dust and irritation.... there is a more likely chance of exposure to contaminated droplets and surfaces. C'mon now... watch how many people wipe their noses then reach for a door knob or to shake hands...
Please note: While many people call an intestinal upset the flu... a true flu ... or influenza, is a respiratory tract infection that can make people very ill and is potentially fatal, especially the ill and/or elderly, yet some even young and fit people may succumb. The so-called stomach flu may be due to any number of intestinal viruses and bacteria and is collectively identified as enteritis. (Consider the Norwalk virus and food poisoning by e. coli).
Signs, symptoms, and toxic hotspots
|
Original article http://www.workopolis.com/content/advice/article/flu-season-2013-signs-symptoms-and-toxic-hotspots?CID=721:19L:14946
- Sore muscles, particularly in the back, arms and legs
- A fever that is above 38 C
- Sweating and chills
- Headache
- Cough
- Weakness and fatigue
- Nasal congestion
Any place people congregate, especially schools and offices, are prime turf for spreading the flu. It is amazing to see how many, otherwise well intentioned and sincere people, will cough into their hand or wipe their nose minutes before offering a hand shake! If you are attending a church service, funeral homes, family celebration... take note!
The best way to protect yourself against this is by washing your hands regularly, using hand sanitizer after shaking hands and touching shared surfaces.
The germiest places to avoid at work:
Researchers at Kimberly-Clark conducted an exhaustive two-year study measuring the hotspots for germs around the office. They collected 5,000 swabs from office buildings where more than 3,000 people work, and here’s where they found the highest levels of contamination:
- Break room sink faucet handles
- Microwave door handles
- Keyboards
- Refrigerator door handles
- Water fountain buttons
- Vending machine buttons
Go to work or stay home?
The Canadian Coalition for Influenza Immunization estimates that the flu costs the Canadian economy about half a billion dollars a year.
A poll of Workopolis users last (2013) flu season revealed that 60% of respondents said that they go to work even when they’re sick. (Curiously, in a separate poll, 47% of people said that they call in to work sick when they’re not sick at all.)
The main reasons that people give for coming in to work while ill are that they don’t feel that anyone can cover for them, they don’t want to fall too far behind, and they don’t want to appear weak to their boss and coworkers (Some people may not get paid sick days, and I suppose those that do want to save their sick days for when they really need them....)
This, despite that fact that showing up at work with a virus is counter-productive. Sick people don’t get that much done to begin with, and they compound the problem by infecting other people.
Unfortunately, even if you choose to stay home are when you come down with the flu, you’re still at risk of infecting your coworkers. This is because people are contagious after become sick for a full day before the symptoms even present themselves.
The other problem is that while most people who stay home when sick with the flu take two days off work, we are actually contagious from five to seven days after falling ill.
While the best way to protect yourself against this is by washing your hands regularly, using hand sanitizer after shaking hands and touching shared surfaces, and frequently cleaning your desk, keyboard and mouse, 66% of people do this less than once a week.
How about you? Do you stay home and take enough time off to recover when you have the flu? Does it bother you when other people don’t? Perhaps this it the prime opportunity to develop and communicate a clear and appropriate workplace policy.
By the way.... Did you know?
- A person with a common cold is contagious one day before the illness breaks out, until one to three days after they feel better. Washing your hands thoroughly is an effective way to avoid catching a cold.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cold-common/Pages/Introduction.aspx
For the latest updates on flu season, you can subscribe to the federal government’s FluWatch reports.
 |
FluWatch is Canada's national surveillance system that monitors the
spread of flu and flu-like illnesses on an on-going basis. FluWatch reports, posted every Friday,
contain specific information for health professionals on flu viruses
circulating in Canada. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fluwatch/
Public Health Agency of Canada
www.publichealth.gc.ca
Link to this blog:http://drwaynecoghlan.blogspot.ca/
Link to this post: http://drwaynecoghlan.blogspot.ca/search/label/Influenza%20Ontario%202013
Video: How influenza affects your body....
The life cycle of the dreaded flu
Adriana Barton, The Globe and Mail. Nov. 28 2013
Each winter, anywhere from 10- to 25-per-cent of Canadians suffer a real-life Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Influenza A and B viruses attack victims by “cap-snatching”
– the term for stealing a vital molecular tag in human cells – and
preventing host cells from expressing their own genes. The viral assault
turns normally productive Canadians into feverish zombies haunted by
memories of what life was like before the crushing headache, disgusting
phlegm and incessant cough took hold. Flu shots are more than 50-per-cent effective
against this demonic infection of the respiratory system, depending on
how well vaccine makers predicted which flu strains will ravage the
masses this year. But until influenza season ends in April, there’s no
telling who will escape the annual plague. Here is the life cycle of the
dreaded flu.
Day 1
The virus infiltrates your nose and mouth via airborne missiles – a.k.a. infectious droplets coughed or sneezed by sick people – or by sticking to surfaces that you handle before touching your eyes, nose or mouth. You are clueless about the attack.
Days 2-4
The virus penetrates cells in your throat and lungs, turning them into factories that replicate the virus and help execute the next stage of the assault. You are infected and contagious, but except for an occasional sniffle, still don’t know you’re sick.
Day 5
Flu symptoms strike: fever, shivers, muscle aches, runny nose, sore throat and cough. Prescription antivirals may shorten the illness by days if you take them within 48 hours of the first symptoms, but you don’t get to the doctor in time. Over-the-counter remedies are no match for the insidious flu.
Day 6-9
Your doctor’s advice seems woefully inadequate: drink fluids, rest, eat fruits and vegetables to boost your immune system. Pain relievers lower fever, decongestants reduce stuffiness and expectorants loosen bronchial congestion. But do not work out because it will raise your body temperature, or drink alcohol or coffee, which cause dehydration. You are convinced your misery will never end.
Days 10-14
At last, your white knight arrives: your immune system begins to produce the antibodies needed to zap the virus. You start to feel well enough to get back to work or school, but the flu has left its mark. Fatigue persists for days or weeks.
Flu begone?
What didn’t kill you made you stronger – you are now immune to the virus you just defeated. But it’s a small victory. When it comes to the other flu strains out there, you are still a sitting duck.
Sources: Health Canada, Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Sciences eTraining Foundation and U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Day 1
The virus infiltrates your nose and mouth via airborne missiles – a.k.a. infectious droplets coughed or sneezed by sick people – or by sticking to surfaces that you handle before touching your eyes, nose or mouth. You are clueless about the attack.
Days 2-4
The virus penetrates cells in your throat and lungs, turning them into factories that replicate the virus and help execute the next stage of the assault. You are infected and contagious, but except for an occasional sniffle, still don’t know you’re sick.
Day 5
Flu symptoms strike: fever, shivers, muscle aches, runny nose, sore throat and cough. Prescription antivirals may shorten the illness by days if you take them within 48 hours of the first symptoms, but you don’t get to the doctor in time. Over-the-counter remedies are no match for the insidious flu.
Day 6-9
Your doctor’s advice seems woefully inadequate: drink fluids, rest, eat fruits and vegetables to boost your immune system. Pain relievers lower fever, decongestants reduce stuffiness and expectorants loosen bronchial congestion. But do not work out because it will raise your body temperature, or drink alcohol or coffee, which cause dehydration. You are convinced your misery will never end.
Days 10-14
At last, your white knight arrives: your immune system begins to produce the antibodies needed to zap the virus. You start to feel well enough to get back to work or school, but the flu has left its mark. Fatigue persists for days or weeks.
Flu begone?
What didn’t kill you made you stronger – you are now immune to the virus you just defeated. But it’s a small victory. When it comes to the other flu strains out there, you are still a sitting duck.
Sources: Health Canada, Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Sciences eTraining Foundation and U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/the-life-cycle-of-the-dreaded-flu/article15652364/
How do I get my sick colleagues to stop sharing their germs?
It’s that time of year when everyone – family, friends, colleagues, fellow transit users – seems to be sick. While I find it troubling to sit beside someone who’s sneezing and snuffling on the train, I know there’s nothing I can do but wash my hands. What really irks me is when co-workers, including bosses, insist on working through illnesses. Not only is it unproductive, but everyone else ends up getting sick, too. What can I do?
The answer
I’ve worked on and off in offices all my adult life. Lately, though, mostly from home. Tell you what I miss: free office supplies and IT guys.
What I don’t miss: endless, pointless meetings, listening to soliloquies from people for whom the sound of their own voice is the most beautiful music – like an enchanting, Mozartian symphony – feeling your life force being sucked up through the vents in the ceiling.
I also don’t miss sniffling, red-nosed, rheumy-eyed, should-be-in-bed colleagues, thinking they’re being “worker-heroes,” coming over to your desk: “Here’s that – ATCHOO! – sorry – file you asked for.” You want to grab them by the lapels and say: “Go home! Just freakin’ go home.” Except you don’t want to get that close.
A recent survey suggested about 60 per cent of people go to work sick. Of those, three in 10 say they go to work sick because they feel they’re “too important” to stay home. Which is annoying, to be sure, but we can surmise that, times being what they are, the other 70 per cent are probably afraid that if they stay home for anything less than a sucking flesh wound it’ll be frowned upon by management – same reason many don’t take paternity leave and eschew lieu days. We’re afraid for our jobs.
Bearing this in mind, let’s treat “the walking ill” in our office as we always treat everyone: with compassion. Damage Control Nation, do I hear an “Okay, if you say so, Dave”?
Let me start by running through a few defensive measures you can take – quickly, because I know most people already know them, but I think they bear repeating:
First and foremost, wash hands frequently. I learned this early as a father of three. Little kids are like plague rats, constantly bringing germs of all kinds into the house, sneezing, coughing and drooling everywhere. Against their malevolent maladies, hand washing is your best defence.
Now I know it’s tough and also possibly frowned upon to go to the washroom too frequently in an office. Simple solution: Keep hand sanitizer at your desk. Oh, here’s one not everyone will know: Try to touch your own face as little as possible. That transfers germs from your hands to your, uh, cranial orifices, which you don’t want. And obviously avoid your sick co-workers (“like the plague”) and drink a lot of fluids.
I’ve seen pictures of people wearing surgical masks to work. I think that’s a little over-the-top. But if a significant number of people in your office were sick and you were to wear a pair of disposable surgical gloves to go to the washroom, would that be annoying? I don’t think so. It’s serious business getting sick: You lose valuable productivity and you can come home and make your whole family sick. And if we’re talking about the flu, a.k.a. influenza, it can land you in the hospital or even, in some cases, the morgue.
I even think you’re well within your rights to say something to your under-the-weather co-workers. Like: “Dude, you should be home in bed.” A statement like that has the twin virtues of being both compassionate and true.
If they object, say they “can’t” and they’re “too busy,” suggest they find a way to work from home. These days, with all the technology at our disposal, unless you’re, say, a landscape architect, it’s probably possible to do whatever is so urgent from the comfort of your comforter.
And point out that they can return reinvigorated and get twice as much done. Whereas by dragging their sickly self in every day, they’re just prolonging their own agony – and, I even think you could gently hint (after all, it’s true and everyone knows it), getting others sick, which is bad for productivity as a whole.
Of course, when your turn comes and you start coming down with something, walk the walk: Stay home. Take some NyQuil and NeoCitran and come back swinging when you feel better.
Fever-reducing meds encourage spread of flu: McMaster report
Staying home when sick with flu backed by mathematical model
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/fever-reducing-meds-encourage-spread-of-flu-mcmaster-report-1.2505505
CBC News
Posted: Jan 22, 2014
Despite the study's findings, recommendation remains the same –
get vaccinated and stay home when you have the flu, Bolker says.
A new study by McMaster University researchers published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society predicts that individuals who take medications with fever-reducing ingredients and then have contact with others are encouraging transmission of the influenza virus.
"Because fever can actually help lower the amount of virus in a sick person's body and reduce the chance of transmitting disease to others, taking drugs that reduce fever can increase transmission," said lead researcher David Earn, a professor of infectious disease and mathematics.
After crunching numbers, the researchers realized that avoiding medications with ibuprofen, acetaminophen and acetylsalicylic acid and just staying home could save many lives. Their research estimates as many as 1,000 lives across North America each year could be saved.
"We put together a chain — how many people have influenza, how many of them take these anti-fever drugs, how much does that increase the amount of virus they give off, how much does that increase the chance that they’re going to affect somebody else, how much does that increase the overall size of the seasonal flu epidemic," said Ben Bolker, professor of math and biology.
"When you put all those numbers together, the answer you get is it increases the size of the annual influenza epidemic by about five per cent."
That sounds like a small percentage, but considering the number of people who contract the flu on an annual basis, it’s actually very significant.
"The influenza epidemic is huge — it’s millions of people," he said. "Five per cent is a lot."
Add in the number of deaths related to the flu — about 40,000 a year in the U.S. alone, Bolker said — and that number becomes even more significant.
"Given the way we put all these numbers together, it looks like if nobody took anti-fever when they got sick with influenza, the number of cases would go down five per cent, presumably the number of deaths would go down five per cent, and that’s a lot of cases and a lot of deaths," he said.
Bolker cautions that there is uncertainty in the numbers, largely because studying how the flu transmission works is hard to do — it would require isolation and very careful attention paid to contact.
Medical advice for fever
The team, Bolker said, hopes doctors or public health professionals take notice of the numbers presented and go forward with clinical trials.But what this study does is add more caution.
"The thing we’re adding to the current set of recommendations is you might want to be extra careful," Bolker said. "If you really care about reducing the number of cases or deaths, you should reduce contact."
The study opens the door for more research to see if giving fever-reducing medications in humans truly has an effect on how much virus is transmitted to the next person, said Dr. Jesse Pappenburg, an infectious disease specialist at Montreal Children's Hospital.
But he said the findings go against medical convention when it comes to whether an individual patient should be taking over-the-counter medications for fever and cough.
"If the fever stopping you from being able to get out of bed and having that cup of soup to help you feel better, well then go ahead and take that over-the-counter fever medication," Pappenburg said.
Not reducing fever, especially in young children, may have potential harmful effects for children who become dehydrated and need to go to the emergency department, he said.
Supplementary links: