While some may welcome the cooler weather after a lengthy summer the change in seasons also heralds the start of winter colds and flu’s.
This edition of the Waiting Room, provided once again by our colleagues at Unified Healthcare Group, highlights that sickness from flu in the workplace costs money and reduces productivity but can be reduced through simple measures, which advisers can tap into for their clients’ benefit...
Influenza (commonly called the flu) is a highly contagious illness that can occur in children or adults of any age. It occurs more often in the winter months because people spend more time in close contact with one another. The flu is spread easily from person to person by coughing, sneezing, or touching surfaces.
Flu and the workplace
About 20% of Australians are affected by influenza each year, so it’s likely that at least someone in your workplace will be affected in the coming flu season. People with flu may need to take up to six days off work, affecting the productivity of the worker as well as their colleagues who need to cover their workload. This can be compounded considering the infectious nature of the flu and the number of workers who may be affected as a result of flu circulating through a workplace. As one employee after another falls ill, the impact on the workplace may linger for weeks.
And this time adds up with research into the cost of the flu finding the direct healthcare costs to the Australian Government for the treatment of influenza-related illnesses, such as GP consultations and hospitalisation, amount to $85 million in a typical flu season.
Flu Symptoms
Symptoms of seasonal flu can vary from person to person but usually include:
- Fever (temperature higher than 37.8ºC)
- Headache and muscle aches
- Fatigue
- Cough and sore throat may also be present
People with the flu usually have a fever for two to five days. This is different than fever caused by other upper respiratory viruses, which usually resolve after 24 to 48 hours. Most people with the flu have fever and muscle aches, and some people also have cold-like symptoms (runny nose, sore throat). Flu symptoms usually improve over two to five days, although the illness may last for a week or more. Weakness and fatigue may persist for several weeks.
Prevention
The most effective way to prevent influenza is by getting the influenza vaccine and using simple infection control measures such as hand washing.
Influenza Vaccine
Getting the influenza vaccine is the most effective way to reduce the chance of becoming infected with the flu.
- Timing: Because the influenza virus changes (or “mutates”) slightly from year to year, you need a new influenza vaccine before each flu season. People should get the flu vaccine soon after it has become available to get the most benefit. In the southern hemisphere, the flu season usually occurs between May and October.
- Effectiveness: People who are vaccinated form antibodies (proteins), which destroy the influenza virus after the person is exposed. It generally takes about two weeks to make these antibodies. The vaccine usually protects 50 to 80 percent of those who are vaccinated from getting the flu. If you get the flu after being vaccinated, your symptoms are likely to be milder and last for a shorter time compared with people who were not vaccinated.
- Safety: Many people are concerned about the safety of vaccines. But for most people, the risk of complications from the vaccine is much smaller than the risk of complications from being infected with the flu. The vaccine does not contain any live viruses and thus cannot cause the illness.
- Side Effects: Serious adverse reactions are rare, with the most common reaction being local redness and swelling at the site of the injection.
No-one likes being unwell and financial advisers can use the beginning of flu season to contact clients and remind them of the financial cost, and time cost of catching a flu and the ways to prevent it
Benefits of a workplace vaccination program:
- Reduced absenteesim: Fewer lost work days due to influenza
- Reduced productivity: Fewer days with reduced productivity
- Prevention of flu spreading to other staff and clients
Other Infection Control Measures:
Infection control measures, like hand washing and covering your mouth when you cough, can help to prevent the spread of influenza.
- Frequent hand washing with soap and water can help limit the spread of influenza. You can use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap and water are not available. Whether you are infected with the flu or are caring for someone with the flu, you should wash your hands frequently.
- Cover your mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing, and throw away dirty tissues immediately. Sneezing/coughing into the sleeve of your clothing (at the inner elbow) is another means of containing sprays of saliva and secretions and will not contaminate your hands.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth since germs spread this way.
- Avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you are sick with a flu-like illness, you should stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone, except to get medical care or for other necessities. Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
- While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
How Can Advisers Prepare for Flu Season
No-one likes being unwell and financial advisers can use the beginning of flu season to contact clients and remind them of the financial cost, and time cost of catching a flu and the ways to prevent it.
Many advisers send out regular client communications and using some of the information above in those communications will be a useful and practical way of connecting with clients.
Practice owners and managers may also want to consider a vaccination program for staff, to avoid further infection and lost days of productivity, as well as for clients. Consider partnering with a local doctor or medical centre and offering free or discounted vaccinations. This approach ramps up your involvement with clients and demonstrates that you are interested in their well-being even when they are not sitting in front of their adviser.
References:
- Newall, A; Scuffham, P; Hodgkinson, B. Economic Report into the Cost of Influenza to the Australian Health System, Influenza Specialist Group, 2007.
- Dolin, R. Clinical manifestations of seasonal influenza in adults. UpToDate. Topic 7004 Version 27.0. 2015.
The Waiting Room looks at of some of the common medical conditions which advisers may come across when dealing with clients.
Unified Healthcare Group serves Australia’s financial services industry by providing a one-stop solution for all medical requirements associated with life insurance claims and underwriting.
This article was written by Unified Healthcare Group National Medical Advisor, Dr Stephen Simonds
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