Almost every second professional also goes to work with a flu-like infection. But especially in the workplace, it is difficult to avoid contact with people with colds. Dr. med. Mathias Dietrich, a specialist in occupational medicine and member of the presidium of the Verband Deutscher Betriebs- und Werksärzte e.V. (Association of German Company and Works Physicians). (VDBW), gives tips on how to reduce the risk of infection on the job and how people with colds should behave.
How high is the risk of infection in the workplace during a cold wave?
The risk is very high. The cold viruses spread mainly via droplet infection, i.e. when sneezing and coughing. In the process, they can fly up to a meter away. People who are in close proximity to one another or have frequently changing interlocutors, for example in customer contact, are more likely to become infected than those who work in large halls and have less contact with others. Teachers and educators are particularly at risk because children are much more likely to catch colds than adults because their immune systems are not yet mature.
There are often conflicts in offices regarding room temperature and the ventilation situation. What is your advice?
If the heating in workrooms is set too high and there is too little ventilation, this provokes the transmission of colds. Regular shock ventilation reduces the virus load in the room and increases humidity. Of course, this can lead to tensions among work colleagues, because usually different cold/heat sensations coincide. However, most of them are understanding when it is explained to them why ventilation is important. Air conditioning can also affect health. In many offices, incorrectly adjusted air conditioning systems cause cold, drafts and dry air. These are all factors that promote a cold. Affected workers should ask their boss not to set the system too cool.
What should I do as an employee when I feel the first symptoms of a cold?
Many start eating oranges or taking vitamins at this stage to remain fit for work. However, this is too late to prevent the common cold. Staying home prophylactically is also usually not necessary. However, physical exertion should be avoided. Since the infection often begins with difficulty swallowing and a sore throat, it helps to keep the mucous membranes in the throat, mouth and nose particularly warm and moist. To avoid infecting other people, the motto is: keep your distance as far as possible. It is important to say why you are keeping your distance. Colleagues and customers will understand, because everyone has already had a cold and no one likes to catch it.
Can a cold get worse if I go to work anyway?
It depends on the job. If you don’t have to exert yourself physically and can manage cold symptoms, you can go to work. However, this does not apply if you have a fever. Anyone who then works anyway risks secondary illnesses, in the worst case a heart muscle inflammation. If you have a fever, you should definitely see your family doctor, because at this stage the viruses have already spread through the mucous membranes throughout the entire organism. However, people who work primarily with their voice, such as singers, actors and call agents, should also stay at home with a sore throat so that the vocal cords are not permanently disturbed. Otherwise, many who continue to put a lot of strain on their voice at this stage will soon be unable to get a sound out.
What should I do if I feel very bad, but the workload at work is extremely heavy and no substitute is available?
Ultimately, the decisive factor is your own assessment of the situation. However, the following question may help in making a decision: Can the business afford to have more than one worker out? By this is meant that the risk of infection is very high with colds and thus the loss of work of further employees is provoked if a person with a cold continues to go to work.
As an employee, even though I am on sick leave, am I allowed to go to work at all?
If you feel better, why not? The doctor’s sick note is not a prohibition to work, but only a medically justified proof of an inability to work. It is considered a certificate for the employer and the social insurance, which pays sickness benefits after six weeks of illness. However, this certificate does not prohibit early return to work.
Am I allowed to do minor shopping if I am on sick leave due to a cold?
A certificate of incapacity from the doctor is not a curfew. Grocery shopping, visits to the pharmacy, and even going to the bank, for example, are not a problem. The self-sufficiency of the individual must remain guaranteed. An incapacity for work is not accompanied by any restrictions on the right to self-determination. Also, the sick person does not always have to be reachable by telephone for his employer, unless he has important objects such as keys or documents that are important for the work process. In such cases, a call from the company is legitimate.
