The Forgotten Advice For Avoiding the Office Cold or Flu
It seems so obvious now
It started with a handout I picked up at a local networking event. A local designer was showing off their infographic abilities by providing a handout of some of the top ways one can avoid the office cold and flu. Given how much the flu has been in the news lately with talk of Covid-19, I picked it up and gave it a quick scan. I’m a freelancer so don’t work in an office, but I am the father of a three-year-old and any advice on avoiding the cold and flu is helpful.
Just about all of the tips outlined were the usual suspects. Wash your hands. Get the flu shot. Keep your hands away from your eyes, etc. All pretty much common knowledge and common sense.
Except for tip #4.
Don’t eat at your desk.
Huh? That one was a new one. I kept the handout and went and did a little research the next day.
The research was illuminating.
It makes total sense if you stop and think about it, but most people don’t consider that their desk is just covered with germs. It doesn’t matter how organized your desk is, how clear of clutter it is or how clean you think it is. A germ-free workspace is nearly impossible.
Consider this.
How many people walk by or stop by your desk over any given day? Have they washed their hands recently? Have they coughed in your area? Sneezed? While stopping to gossip, did they set their coffee cup or bagel down on your desk even for just a few moments?
Germ city.
And all of this isn’t taking into account anything you might be leaving behind.
Now it’s not reasonable to pour gallons of sanitizer everywhere. You have work to do. You wash your hands, you get your flu shot, you take all the other reasonable precautions that are common knowledge and common sense.
When lunch comes around, go eat in the break room. Or the kitchen. Or the cafeteria if there is one available. Or anyplace that has surfaces that are more likely to be regularly disinfected and wiped down. If it’s in your budget, even the coffee shop across the street or the fast food place on the corner probably had more passing familiarity with sanitation than your desk.
What to do, though, when options aren’t available? Let’s face it — we’ve all seen breakrooms that were just one bad day away from a visit from the hazmat team. You might not have a choice other than to have your lunch or snack at your workspace. Or in that filthy breakroom.
In that case, take some extra time before eating to wipe down the area yourself. Grab some disposable sanitizing wipes and pack them with your lunch, keep them in your work bag. Give the place a quick but thorough wiping before sitting down and putting your hands into contact with your mouth.
It’s not the only way to avoid the office cold or flu, but it’s an effective and oft-overlooked step.
Get your flu shot if you haven’t already. Practice good hygiene. Follow all of the other well-known guidelines toward protecting yourself.
And look out for where you eat.
And while I have you here. And while we’re on the topic of cases of flu and that COVID-19 is a trending topic, here is a link to one of the best articles I’ve seen here addressing some of the important issues surrounding the current health crisis.
Forewarned is forearmed.
Cheers!
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