Flu Fighter

It’s hard to believe, but here it is the end of June and children were missing school because of the flu. What is the financial impact of the flu on business? Is there going to be an impact this summer?

The CDC reported that U.S. business could save up to $12 billion annually by providing flu shots to employees. People who are ill with the flu stay out of work an average of 3-4 days per flu episode. The current CDC recommendation is for people who are sick with the H1N1 flu stay home for at least 7 days or 24 hours after symptoms disappear, whichever is longer. That might also include people who are absent to care for family members. The H1N1 flu is an evolving situation. The CDC, state Department of Public Health along with local health departments are continuing to monitor what is happening with the virus. My best advice is to stay informed with what is happening with the H1N1 virus and report any flu like symptoms to your primary physician.

You mention the need to start prepping businesses now for the flu outbreak that will come this winter. What can companies do now, especially with money tight and everybody thinking about summer picnics and not flu shots.

Keeping the flu out of your workplace doesn’t have to cost a dime — and the benefits can save your company thousands in lost productivity and paid sick time. Booking a flu clinic for the fall is probably at the bottom of everyone’s to-do list right now. But VNA HealthCare strongly recommends booking a flu immunization clinic now to guarantee that your employees will be protected during what is sure to be a flu season full of uncertainties. As many insurance companies cover the cost of the flu vaccine, organizing an on-site flu clinic is usually at no cost for your employees or the employer. Most agencies administering the vaccine can simply bill the insurance companies directly.

Follow these two simple steps to keep your employees healthy this flu season. First, arrange for an on-site workplace clinic. You can call the American Lung Association for information on agencies that will provide the service to your company or you can contact me at 860-246-1919. Second, educate your employees and promote the clinic in your workplace.

One company’s approach to fighting the flu was to pass out hand sanitizers. Is that enough or can companies do more to fight the flu?

It’s certainly an excellent start. You can also launch a campaign within your company to remind employees of the importance of hand washing. There are downloadable hand hygiene posters on the CDC Web site — cdc.gov — that you can mount in lunchrooms and restrooms. Everyone should be reminded of good hand hygiene and cough etiquette (covering coughs and sneezes). Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth since germs spread this way.

Encourage employees who exhibit flu-like symptoms to stay home from work and avoid close contact with others for seven days after symptoms begin or until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. A contagious employee can easily spread the virus from coworker to coworker, causing a mini epidemic in your office!

And finally, businesses should be reviewing their overall emergency preparedness plans so that, in case of a pandemic, they can ensure continuity of operations. The following Web address would be a good place to begin. It helps guide businesses for what they need to prepare for. http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/index.html or http://www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch/ click on

For more answers to your flu questions, I encourage you to e-mail me at hblutz@vnahealthcare.org or visit the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov.