If you feel like you and your colleagues have had more sick days this year than you’re used to, you’re not alone. It has been the busiest year for hospital admissions for complications from flu infections for the last three years.
University of Sydney’s Professor Robert Booy from the Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance at Sydney Medical School said that although it is difficult to tell why it is worse this year, there are a few easy things you can do to help prevent catching and spreading the virus, including;
– Wash your hands regularly, especially after blowing your nose
– Avoid shaking hands
– If you have any major cold and flu symptoms, stay home from work to save your colleagues from possible infection
– If you sneeze, use a tissue and throw it away. If you’re caught without a tissue, sneeze into your elbow
– Get the flu vaccine. Even if you don’t fall into the risk groups, the flu vaccine helps form a chain of protection around those who are vulnerable. Every year the vaccine is reviewed to keep up with the changes in the virus.
Do I need antibiotics?
It’s not uncommon for us to want to rush off to the doctor and get a course of antibiotics to beat the cold as quickly as possible but that’s not always the best treatment.
Professor Booy suggests that once you are sick with a cold, rest and fluids are the best treatment – there are at least a dozen viruses that cause colds that are not treatable with an antibiotic.
When should I see a doctor?
If you are experiencing sore muscles, headache, high fever and a very sore throat or you are showing early symptoms and someone close to you was diagnosed by a doctor, there is a specific antiviral treatment that can be provided by your GP. It is effective if you take it within the first couple of days of symptoms so Professor Booy advises it’s best to get to the doctor early.
Watch out for shortness of breath, chest pain and yellow or green mucus as these symptoms are synonymous with pneumonia and will need to be treated with an antibiotic.
For more information on immunisation, including the flu vaccine, check out the Chain of Protection website.
Tell us, did you have a flu shot this year or are you intending to?
