Dr. Stuart joined Doug on Mornings to talk about the tension between staying home and going to work when we fall sick.
“I think certainly there’s a lot of pressure from often from employers, and you know it’s often pressure we apply to ourselves as well, and you know it’s a really tricky one because sometimes we don’t have choices, but we really do need to consider the bigger picture,” began Dr. Stuart.
He recognised it as a mindset issue that we need to change.
The Main Symptoms
Dr. Stuart said these are the following symptoms that would ensure you were not safe to work:
- Fever
- Bad cough
- Feeling unwell
- High risk of being infectious
He said that recognising whether something is contagious or not is often tricky.
Common Sense & Contagion
“There’s a few things that you can just use common sense and say, do you know what, my kids brought this home from school, I should consider the fact that if I go into work, I’m going to give it to 15 other people.”
He said it adds pressure to the people you work with, who may fall sick because of something they caught.
“If you are not sure, you can speak to a doctor… but the brutal truth is, if you’ve got a fever, if there’s a persistent cough or regular trips to the toilet, you need to be safe.”
Dr. Stuart said that sickness in the workplace can infect up to 80% of colleagues within three days.
“So you’re not a hero, you’re a super spreader with a laptop is what I would say.”
Small Workspaces
Smaller work spaces are disproportionately affected because there is only one person in the role, as opposed to being absorbed by multiple people.
“It’s not fair that employees are having to carry that burden, themselves. That’s really a responsibility and I say that as an employer, I’ve got a responsibility to my staff to make sure that they have the capacity to be able to take time off sick.”
Dr. Stuart said it comes down to resourcing in a way that provides the company a backup plan in the instance someone is not able to come in.
“So it definitely is a challenge and it’s that additional pressure that makes it harder. But the reality is sick leave is there for a reason. It’s legally mandated for a very good reason.”
Dr. Stuart said it is also in place for mental health days.
“It’s there for a reason and I think it’s important that people feel that they have the right to take it if they need it.”
He said it is not good for the business or the individual to become a critical person, they cannot live without. It is worth having the conversation with an employer to say, “There’s a lot of pressure on me to be at work. I can’t take time off and that is not good for anybody.”
Stay Home
The challenge of working when you are sick is that a person will be pushing through and operating while your body is underperforming.
“That’s the first problem as far as work’s concerned, is you’re not going to be at your peak, in fact quite far from it, and that’s where mistakes can happen, and then you’re going to punish yourself more.”
He said the ramifications can be more serious like prolonged illness for a considerable period of time.
“So there’s so many reasons why it’s just not the right thing to do.”
Spreading Germs
“We have never created bug delivery devices quite as effective as a human child,” joked Dr. Stuart.
Parents with children in daycare can certainly relate to the spreading of germs, especially when they are in close quarters with airborne illnesses and infectious viruses.
“It is also a big challenge when the kid isn’t at school because that usually means one of the parents isn’t at work. Or we recruit grandparents and then they become infected by the child.”
Keep Children at Home
Dr. Stuart said the reality of sending our kids in, regardless of sickness, is they are ‘super spreaders.’
“They will send it around the classroom or daycare and then it’s just a nightmare. Which is why a lot of daycares are quite so trigger happy if they see conjunctivitis, if they see unwell children even vaguely.”
He encouraged the parents who get frustrated by the midday phone calls to come and collect their child, to understand it is a precaution they take in order to minimise spread of germs.
“I totally am sympathetic to the pressures at work, but the reality is sending your kid to daycare while they’re not well just isn’t the right thing to do.”
Sending a child to school or daycare and then missing half a day of work in the hope that they won’t appear sick is getting the worst of both worlds, according to Dr. Stuart.
“Just keep them home,” he said.
Cold vs Flu
Dr. Stuart talked about the distinction between a common cold and a flu. Here is what to look out for:
“You will feel lousy with a cold but you are probably still okay.”
He said snot, headache and sore throat are all symptoms of a head cold.
“The flu will put you in bed and you won’t be able to get out. You won’t be fit to work and you’ll know that. If you do turn up at work, it’d be very surprising if you didn’t get spun around and sent straight home. People talk about having the flu a lot, but very few people fortunately have actually experienced a bad flu.”
Dr. Stuart was excited to talk about their flu vaccination program, which involves a nasal spray.
“It is particularly aimed at kids who are particularly afraid of needles, but you can buy it privately as well.”
He recommended it as an innovative solution that will make a lot of difference to families.
“That’s one of the main reasons we do want to get people vaccinated is because when flu hits and spreads, it is devastating.”
Treatment Varies
“Chicken soup’s great for the soul apparently, but there’s not so much evidence for it doing much else other than making you feel a little bit better.”
Dr. Stuart said it depends on the illness, but in most cases you’ll feel a bit brighter with paracetamol and it will bring your fever down.
There is an old saying of feeding a flu and starving a fever that is unfortunately untrue.
“The whole point is if you’re feeling hungry, eat something. If you’re not feeling hungry, don’t eat something. Panadol will help keep the temperature generally at bay and it’s generally safe for most people and plenty of fluids is usually the advice we’d give if people are feeling a bit feverish or unwell.”
What is a Fever?
“A low grade fever is over 37.5, but an actual fever is over 38. Neither one of them is a good thing, but you’ll definitely feel very unwell if your temperature is 38 or above.”
Whether you are an adult or a child, a temperature of 38 degrees or higher is a good reason to stay home.
Lingering Symptoms
Dr. Stuart said if things are persisting, and you are unable to get our of bed, it is a good reason to see a doctor and reach out for help.
Rest
Treatment for the aforementioned sicknesses all come down to one simple thing: rest.
“Sleep is your immune system doing its work,” he said, “So give your body the chance. It’s not laziness, it’s good medicine.”
When people rest properly, they recover faster and get fewer complications, according to Dr. Stuart.
“They’re less likely to end up in hospital as well… the most heroic thing you can do is to go home, get in bed, watch something terrible on Netflix and you will feel better soon.”
Check out the full chat with Dr. Stuart below.