Avoiding Swine Flu (H1N1) At Work

Cold and flu season is upon us.

Many people are very worried this year because of the development of swine flu. Unfortunately a lot of people are confused about what makes the H1N1 virus (swine flu) different from normal influenza.

What is the H1N1 virus?

Swine flu appeared in 2009 as a bug that spreads very much like any other flu. By June the World Health Organization declared H1N1 a pandemic. It received the designation "swine flu" because the virus involved is one that normally occurs in pigs. People who have had this type of flu often recover without any problems whatsoever. Others have become ill enough to be hospitalized and some have died. Most individuals who became seriously ill were those at high risk due to other medical issues like diabetes and heart disease. An ill person can infect others for up to 7 days following the contraction.

Response in the Work Place from Employers

The risks of coming in contact with the H1N1 virus increase with the numbers of people you're around daily. Because swine flu is new, it's hard to predict how many more people will become ill (and therefore absent from work) during the flu season. That lack of certainty can impact businesses both big and small greatly. This has lead to businesses ramping up their efforts to protect workers from exposure and transmission.

Generally speaking the recommendations for any work space include:

encouraging sick workers to stay home

educating staff on the value of regular hand washing

Insuring on-going cleaning for surfaces that get touched regularly (countertops, door knobs, telephones, etc.)

having hand sanitizing stations readily available and in full view of both employees and visitors to buildings

providing flexible scheduling for staff who have sick children or other family members at home

What You Can Do

Employers cannot stand over each and every employee and make sure they take care of themselves. That means you need to become a partner in staying healthy this flu season. The good news is that there are several very simple ways of avoiding swine flu. These include:

Washing your hands throughout the day. If possible use a hand sanitizer and turn off the faucet using a paper towel. This is especially important if you're touching your eyes, mouth, or nose as those are the places where germs can enter the body easily. Washing your hands increases your resiliency by about 20%.

Avoiding people who seem to be coughing or sneezing. This is especially important for pregnant women, people with asthma or diabetes and other individuals with risk factors like heart and liver disease.

Disinfect your desk, telephone, doorknob, chair etc. regularly. You can pick up germs even from a memo! Remember germs can live for over 8 hours!

Eating right and getting plenty of rest. It sounds cliché but these are two very important factors to keeping your immune system in tune.

If you are coughing or sneezing, use a tissue to cover your mouth and nose and be sure to dispose of it and wash your hands afterwards (this protects your co-workers in case you've been exposed).

While taking these precautions won't guarantee that you'll avoid the swine flu, it certainly gives you a fighting chance against it, as well as helping to protect you from the common flu and colds.

Do you have a good idea about how to avoid the swine flu in the workplace? Tell us about it in the comments!

For more on the swine flu (H1N1), check out the EnvyMyHealth.com Swine Flu Channel.

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