When you have a cold, deciding whether or not to go to the office is often difficult. When working from home and when calling in sick it is the right choice.
Colds and respiratory infections keep us busy even in the spring. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, coming to work with cold symptoms has become a no-no for many people. But how long are you contagious, when is working from home better than the office, and at what point are you so “sick” that you have to call in sick?
Cold symptoms: When to stay in the home office if possible
If you work a job that can be done from home, you may be able to switch to working from home if you experience cold symptoms. This has the advantage not only of saving struggling employees, but above all of protecting colleagues from possible infection. Even if you follow hygiene measures such as regular hand washing and coughing and sneezing rules, you can still spread viruses if you have respiratory infections, as these viruses are mainly transmitted through aerosols (small droplets suspended in the air).
In case of classic respiratory infection, the following applies Robert Koch Institute (RKI): Stay home for three to five days and avoid direct contact with others until symptoms such as sore throat, cough, and runny nose improve significantly. For true influenza (influenza), the guideline is one week, or as long as symptoms of fever, body aches, cough and sore throat last, because that is how long viruses are released that can replicate.
The infection can spread: when is it best to report illness?
Anyone who drags themselves to work while sick not only risks infecting others. Infection can also lead to decreased employee productivity and errors. Many people do not want to burden their colleagues with additional work and have a guilty conscience. However, when the first signs of the disease appear, it is usually not possible to estimate the severity of the disease. Symptoms may worsen at work.
In addition, there is a risk of “persistence” of infection; As the disease lasts longer than usual, symptoms become particularly severe or even serious complications such as myocarditis with cardiac arrest and shortness of breath. When you have a cold, your mucous membranes are particularly vulnerable to other pathogens. A “super infection” can be caused by a secondary bacterial infection. Sinusitis and pneumonia are also possible consequences of the spread of infection.
When you are legally considered “unable to work.”
Under the law, a person is considered unfit for work if “due to illness, he or she can no longer perform the activities he or she previously performed or can do so only with the risk of aggravation of the illness.” The doctor usually decides when this is the case. . Many companies only require sick leave from the third day onwards Medical certificate of illness. Whether you call in sick in advance is up to you and also depends on the type of job and current tasks.
The following checklist can help with the assessment:
- Do I have severe symptoms, pain, or feel weak?
- Do my symptoms make me feel like I need rest and sleep?
- Can I still concentrate with these symptoms? Is there a risk that I will make mistakes?
- Are my symptoms likely contagious? Then either switch to working from home, or, if that is not possible, step away from work to protect others
- Did your doctor advise you not to work?
This article only contains general information about the health topic in question and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It does not, in any way, replace a visit to a doctor. Our editors are not permitted to answer individual questions about medical conditions.
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