Fact or Fiction?

Cold + Flu Season

By Erica Rascón on Nov 2, 2017 in News

It’s that time of year when your team members may start dropping like flies. Coughing, sneezing, headaches, body aches, and congestion—the list of symptoms in the PTO requests may be endless. Revealing the truth behind these common cold and flu myths may help you run a full ship this season instead of surviving on a skeleton crew.

At Yardi, we are thrilled to create software that boosts productivity and efficiency. But even the best real estate software on the market is less effective when clients work with a depleted staff.

Keep your operations moving smoothly with these tested truths for a healthier workplace.

 

1. Fact or Fiction? After the First 3 Days of a Cold, Safely Return to Work: FICTION

A publication by the University of California, Berkeley explains, “As a general rule, adults with a cold will be able to infect others one day before symptoms appear and up to five days or so after becoming sick. […] The precise number of days for transmission can vary from person to person.”

It is in the best interest of everyone at the office when a sick person takes adequate time out to recover from an illness. This personal time off minimizes the spread of the illness and supports long-term productivity.

If personal time off is not an option, self-imposed quarantining may actually prove effective. “If you’re around someone who is sick, stay at least six feet away—cold viruses can’t be propelled much farther than that before falling to the ground,” the publication states. Immediately clean any shared surfaces after use and frequently wash hands with soap and water.

 

2. Fact or Fiction? Hand Sanitizer Creates Resistant Germs: FACT

Viruses and bacteria naturally evolve. Antimicrobials are not the sole catalysts for “super germs” but they are a contributing factor.

A study published by the American Society for Microbiology acknowledges that any “bug can develop novel and insidious defenses” against our efforts to eradicate it. The article also supports that antibacterial products have “deleterious long-term effects.”

Antimicrobial products do not kill the “99.9 percent of germs” often cited on the label. At best, they kill 46-60 percent of bacteria and are less effective if the hands are oily, dirty, damp, or otherwise outside of pristine condition.

The study affirms that soap and water are still better than antimicrobial hand solutions—though the latter should be used when soap and water are not available.

 

3. Fact or Fiction? Essential Oils are Effective Antivirals: FACT

Health conscious team members may suggest replacing the conventional, workplace cleaning solution an essential oil-based formula. Can essentials oils provide a safe and effective alternative to your bleach-based cleaners?

Yes. Research published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health states, “plant-based essential oils could be used as antiviral agents against several viral diseases in humans and have the potential to be used as alternatives to synthetic antiviral drugs.” Essential oils can even prevent viruses from taking root in their nascent stages.

As an added bonus, most diluted, antiviral essential oils do not come with the harmful side effects that accompany bleach, such as skin and eye irritation or damage to the respiratory systems.

Leading antimicrobial essential oils include tea tree, peppermint, lemon, eucalyptus, lemongrass, lavender, cinnamon and oregano. Avoid synthetic oils which often lack the precise chemical compositions to be effective.

Antiviral oils can be added to aloe vera gel or fractionated coconut oil to create a hand solution. Keep a bottle in common areas for easy access. To spray over break room countertops or workstations, add a few drops the chosen essential oils to rubbing alcohol.

 

4. Fact or Fiction? Starve a Fever, Feed a Cold: FICTION

Starving (or prolonged fasting) is not a recommended practice during any illness. Nutrients and thorough hydration expedite healing and support the immune system.

When facing illness that induces a fever, increase fluid intake by 20-30 percent recommends Dr. Jon S. Abramson, an infectious disease expert at Wake Forest Medical School.

Whether facing cold or flu, adults should consume food when hunger hits, recommends Dr. Sharon Horesh Bergquist, an internist at Emory University. If you are not feeling hungry, do not force it. Light yet nutrient-dense snacks will suffice. Chicken noodle soup, which is high in needed calories, salt, and fluids, is still a wise go-to meal.

 

5. Fact or Fiction: Cold Office Temps Increase Chances of Illness: FACT

Deonna with the space heater may have the right idea. Keeping the office warmer may help protect against the spread of the common cold.

Researchers at Yale University made an interesting discovery during a lab test with rats. When the nose maintains body temperature, cells are at their best. When cell encounter the rhinovirus, they send out warning signals to nearby, uninfected cells. Those cells then increase their antiviral proteins, which destroy the rhinovirus.

In cooler temps, the nose is one of the first parts of the body to drop in temperature. At  91.4 degrees, the warning signals of the infected cell weaken. “Cooler temperatures meant a more sluggish immune response and a greater susceptibility to the rhinovirus,” reports the researchers.