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Saturday, December 7, 2013

Flu Season Prevention Kit

I hate when the weather starts to change.  It affects all of us different but it always brings colds, sickness, and the dreaded flu.

My poor daughter has been so sick, and guess who she passed it too?  Mommy.  I was so sick and dying last Monday and Tuesday.  I did not, could not move.  I could not open my eyes.  My body hurt and I was in so much pain.  Since I had been at home on vacation, I did not know my entire office was all suffering from the crud too.  One person was out with the flu and others were dropping left and right. 

I had just recently found out that Latinos are the most likely ethnic group to report having either the flu or a cold, and the group less likely to take preventative measures against these illnesses. 

I am a great supported of trying to prevent.  I hate being sick and hate to see anyone else suffering.
 
Flu season poses a big problem for businesses ­ each year it causes an estimated 70 million missed workdays and billions in lost office productivity.  It’s critical that both employees and employers take notice and promote healthier habits.
 
The fourth annual Flu Season Survey from Staples, a leading provider of supplies that help keep offices healthy, revealed nearly 90 percent of employees go to work even when they know they are sick. These findings show a growing trend when compared to last year¹s survey indicating 80 percent go to work sick, up from 60 percent in 2011.
 
According to the survey, employees acknowledged that staying out three days when sick with the flu was appropriate. The majority of those surveyed, however, stay out of the office for less than two days when sick, putting coworkers’ health and business productivity at risk. The primary reason most respondents cited for returning to work early was not wanting to fall behind on their workload (45 percent).

I am guilty of this.....soooo guilty.  Many at my office are, we do not believe in missing work.
 
Being proactive early in the flu season ensures health and productivity throughout the season. Since the flu season is now upon us, we should all help one another try to prevent the spread. 

I, on a constant basis wipe everything down when I have a cold.  Everything I touch.  As I sneeze and use a kleenex.  I hand sanitize and wash my hands more often than usual.  I also Lysol all common areas like the door knobs, copier, telephones, and drawers.  Often you do not think how many hands have touched something, when reaching to grab.  But being proactive is the key.  When I went back to work on Wednesday I grabbed my kit (provided by Staples) which included Clorox Clean Up Wipes, Lysol Antibacterial Cleaner, Purell Hand Sanitizer, Soft Soap Hand Soap and Kleenex Tissue Box.  We have all returned back to work now and we all want to help prevent the spread of germs now and in the future.  All the items in this kit are items I keep in stock at my house to help our house but remember we spend most of our day at work. 

Stay healthy my friends! 
 

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