almost all doer – including those employed in health care – will go into work while experiencing symptoms of illness , according to the event of a spheric sight , with over one-half enjoin they will go to oeuvre while experiencing symptoms of an influenza - alike sickness .
researcher from the Australian National University investigate how many master across various sectors transmit flu - like malady to their patients and colleagues by show up to body of work while nauseous . The team rivet on healthcare workers in particular , where showing up for work whilst sick may compromise patient safety , infect compromise and susceptible patients , and lead to aesculapian errors ( for example through mental exhaustion while pale ) .
For their study put out in the journalPLOS One , they anonymously survey workers from 49 rural area , with half of those participants working in healthcare . They discover thatalmost all proletarian – 96.5 percent of non - healthcare worker and 99.2 pct of health care workers – went in to work while experiencing minor flu symptoms , including a sore pharynx , tiredness , a cold , sneezing , fluid nozzle , a mild coughing , and reduced appetence .
When symptoms were more grievous , few respondents said they would continue to work , though 58.5 per centum of healthcare workers still say they would continue to work despite experiencing influenza - comparable symptom such as feverishness , cold chills , head ache , and sinew aches .
The sketch was conducted between October 2018 and January 2019 , but nevertheless has implication for how we deal with presenteeism ( go to put to work despite illness or harm ) during the Covid-19 pandemic .
" It was big enough before Covid-19 when it was just influenza and other respiratory virus . But , now we have coronavirus it is more important than ever not go to work when you are unwell , " co - author Professor Peter Collignon said in astatement .
" This study shows too many hoi polloi go to work when they are wan , and this includes many multitude on the frontline of healthcare . More than half of the global universe of physicians and nurses went to work when they had flu like symptoms . "
The authors mention work culture , short unhinged leave-taking , understaffing , and job insecurity as possible reasons why healthcare workers feel like they are unable to take the time off they need to recover from illness and determine the risk of spreading it to others .
" A succeeding strategy to successfully preclude the infection of grippe - like illness in health care preferences should address sick - farewell insurance policy management , " the authorssuggest in the study . " In addition to advance the ingestion of influenza vaccinum . "
The survey , while small at only 533 respondents , is in telephone line with other studies . A cogitation published in theAmerican Journal of Infection Controlin 2017 found that over 40 per centum of health care workers had worked while sick with an influenza - like illness during the 2014 - 2015 influenza season . The most mutual reasons for showing up when fed up were they matt-up they were still capable to do the duties of their job and they did n’t feel ill enough to neglect work . For professional person working in long - terminal figure care facility , the most common reason for coming into work while sick was being ineffective to afford the lost pay .
[ H / T : Science Alert ]
