Winter illnesses round up......
It feels like we have really high levels of winter illnesses this year, with a large proportion of our team here at Astral off all at the same time.
We have flu, RSV, COVID-19 and norovirus doing the rounds all a the same time, which is making sickness absence really high at this time of year. There are other virus that our government are also tracking including rhinovirus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and parainfluenza ... all of these are also peaking during the current winter months.
All of these virus's can be killed by a simple spray and wipe that you can find by following this link....
In the UK, we offer free vaccines to vunerable groups for COVID-19, flu, and RSV. We have all heard the phrase 'stay at home' but this could never be more pertinant during this winter. All of these different virus's are spreading, and the sickness absence rates are sky high. The hospitals have reported, increased absence for the medical staff, but small businesses are actually having to temporarily close or are stretched very thinly due to the absence rates of colleagues.
So we have the age old simple measures, stay at home; catch coughs and sneezes in a tissue; hand washing; and good ventilation make the world of difference.
We are now in an age, where it is OK to be off work ill; employers would rather you phoned in sick. The alternative is the entire team is affected either directly or indirectly. Directly by getting sick themselves; indirectly through having to cover several other colleagues jobs as well as their own.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a very common virus which affects the respitary system usually between November to February. THis is a particualarly nasty viris and results in excessive coughing, sometimes leading to chest infections and bronchiolits in infants. If you see your baby experiencing fast or noisy breathing, take them to the hospital.
RSV is also serious in older adults, causing pneumonia and hospitalisations. Even if you are experiencing mild symptoms, this virus makes for a miserable time, as it disturbs sleep and the constant coughing causing exhaustion.
We are all familiar with flu, and if you've ever had it; you'll know when you have it! Far worse than the cold, flu can absolutely debilitate you, making it almost impossible to get out of bed, and if you do have to get up and look after your children it just makes you feel a lot worse. There is a vaccine available for flu, however you do need to be vaccinated for the correct strain!
Whilst the pandemic (sorry to say it!) is now behind us (hopefully for good), COVID-19 is still causing serious illness amongst those with weakened immune systems and those with long term health conditions, as well as older people. Anyone over 65 is entitled to a free vaccine to help protect against COVID-19.
Norovirus, like every winter is currently doing the rounds. Whilst very unpleasant, it is not usually serious and generally goes away in around 2 days. This bug can leave you feeling very depleted and weak. This year, we are experiencing the highest number of norovirus cases ever reported since reporting began!
Symptoms start within 1-2 days of becoming infected, and you can usually treat yourself and your family at home. Lots and lots of rest, fluids and sleep if you can get it will aid your recovery quicker.
Whilst for many, Norovirus isn't really that serious, it is so important to stay home and wash your hands for 48 hours after symtoms began. Again vulnerable groups are likely to have serious repercusions if infected with Norovirus, so it is best to just stay home.
Rhinovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and hMPV are very similar to the common cold.
The main symptoms include a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, a hoarse voice, a cough, feeling tired and unwell. You may also have a high temperature, aching muscles, a loss of taste and smell and a feeling of pressure in your ears and face.
Symptoms of a cold can last longer in young children. They may also be irritable, have difficulty feeding and sleeping, breathe through their mouth, and get sick after coughing.
You can get more information on telling the difference between colds and flu via the NHS website.
You can see our surveillance reports published each week which track these viruses, plus flu and COVID-19 here.
If you have any of the above virus's, the responsible thing to do would be to stay at home. Your employer would appreciate having more team members who are able to work, rather than you coming in to work and unwittingly infecting your colleagues leading to higher sickness absence rates.
Products you might want to have on stand by, would be a viricidal/bactericidal sanitising spray such as Selgiene Extreme. This is both BS EN 14476 (kills viruses) and BS EN 1276 (kills bacteria). Selgiene Extreme comes in both 750ml and 5 Litres, so is excellent value.
Anti Viral & Bactericidal wipes are always handy to have around the home/work place, and these Disinfectant and Virucidal & Bactericidal Wipes come in both packets of 100, or drums of 400.
Soap... lets talk about soap. Soap is so important; as is handwashing. Use a good quality soap! As you would expect, we have an excellent selection here, so have a browse. This bactericidal soap is a good all rounder, comes in 500ml and 5 Litres so is a great value soap!
Thanks for reading, if you need me, you know where to find me! You can call me or a member of the team on 01835 824 342.
Anna
