It Is The Season Of Flu-Take A Look At How Germs Are Kept At Bay
The number of people that end up getting hospitalized in Canada due to flu is estimated to be 12,200 each year. According to reports from Health Canada annual death caused by the virus are around 3,500.
This is because the virus of flu or similarly influenza is spread primarily because of droplets through sneezing or coughing as the transmission hotbeds are the workplaces.
So the question that naturally arises how flu van be prevented from catching up at work. The advice has been shared by doctors.
One can take a flu shot. A physician on infectious disease, Dr. Kamran Khan who is also a scientist from the St. Michael’s Hospital and he is also a professor of medicine from the University in Toronto has stressed the importance of an effective flu shot.
Bluedot is a prevention tool for infectious disease. Khan is the Bluedot CEO. According to him, the flu vaccine should be taken by the Canadians.
According to him, one cannot expect perfection of 100% regarding the prevention of influenza but the odds will be roughly reduced to at least half.
He also said that it is very important that the awareness among people increases which is the best chance that they can have so that the risk of getting flu is reduced.
It has been pointed out by Khan that not only protection is given to you with a flu shot it is also helpful as the spread of the virus is prevented for those people who run the high risk of catching the disease of flu that is becoming quite ominous.
The seniors are included who have immune systems that are compromised like pregnant women and young children. For the population who are at risk, serious complications can result from flu and it could also lead to death.
According to Dr. Khan, those employees who are young and are very healthy and risk factors are negligible for severe consequences with the risk of running from influenza, if they get the vaccines simply the chance of becoming sick becomes less likely and the virus is passed on to someone other than them who was there in the work environment.
Hand washing should be practiced. According to a public health consultant who is based in Ontario in Kingston called Dr. Ian Gemmill and who is also the former chairman of Immunize Canada cites the reason for the spread of influenza from one person to another so it becomes imperative for everyone that their hands are washed frequently.
It has been pointed out by Health Canada that the incubation period resulting from flu is somewhere between one day to four days, which means that the virus can be spread by people even before they realize that they have fallen sick.
It has been added by the government agency that influenza can be passed on from people until a period of five days after the symptom is first experienced by them.
It has been added by Gemmill that because of direct contact the virus of flu can survive on the surface for close to a day. this implies that very common objects like telephones, door handles of bathrooms can act as a medium through which the influenza virus can be transmitted to your hands.
If after touching a surface that is contaminated the face is touched the flu van be contracted for example.
Gemmill said that hand washing cannot be emphasized enough by him.
The employers should be encouraged so that they become a part of flu prevention.
Gemmill said that flu prevention can be promoted in the workplace in a way by offering the employees with flu shots which are one site and free. In various workplaces, if the virus moves around can lead to consequences that are severe.
According to him, a police department or a fire department is not required so that it gets wiped out for a period of one to two weeks.
It has been pointed out by Gemmill that paid sick days are not there in all workplaces, which implies that it is the inclination of certain employees to come to work being sick.
In order to fight this, it has been said by Gemmill that every workplace should have some policies and they should work towards it so that wage loss is protected in cases of certain illnesses.
He also pointed out that to put these policies in the track so that people are allowed to stay back at home and get some time so that they recuperate and other people are not infected so that it helps employers really keep up with the standards of a healthy workplace.
One should stay back at home if they get sick.
At workplaces in North America, one of the major challenges that is faced is having the idea that employees should come to office or work as it is part of the culture that is prevalent.
But if someone is suspected with flu it is better both for the productivity and health so that they can stay out of the office.
Khan also added that if you fall sick on should not think twice and stay at home and take enough rest so that the recovery happens very quickly and other people are no exposed to it in the particular workplace.
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