THE NEW ETIQUETTE OF BEING SICK

We’ve all been on both sides of this dilemma. You’re sitting at your desk, squashed in the middle seat of a plane, or grabbing a coffee from your barista’s hand, and someone nearby lets out a hacking cough or high-velocity sneeze. Maybe it was you, or your cubicle mate, or the guy who ordered the triple espresso. If you’re the one holding the tissues, are you obligated to explain yourself? (“I’ve had this for two weeks. I’m not contagious!”) If you’re the bystander, are you allowed to glare?

Cold and flu season just won’t quit anymore, and now allergy season is here, and it all adds up to a whole lot of confusion. To clear it up, we tapped experts to break down the post-Covid etiquette of being sick. Here are answers to the most FAQs:

How long am I actually contagious?

It’s a little unclear right now, considering the CDC just reduced its Covid isolation guidelines from a minimum of five days to staying home until at least 24 hours after symptoms are getting better overall. Srsly? According to Linda Yancey, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, you won’t really be aware you’re sick while you’re in the window to infect others. “The time you’re most contagious with the flu, Covid, or one of the cold viruses is for the three days before your symptoms start,” she says. “By that time, you’re probably going to be contagious for five to seven more days. After that, your immune system has taken care of it.” The flu or Covid may still make you feel like you got hit by a bus, but as a general rule, “after a week from symptoms starting, you’re no longer contagious,” Yancey clarifies.

So when do I ditch the office?

According to Malissa Clark, an industrial-organizational psychologist and the author of Never Not Working, the concept of continuing to work while sick is called “presenteeism”—and, as determined in a 2016 study, it actually accounts for more productivity loss than absenteeism (not working while sick). “Basically, it’d be better for the organization for you to take the day off,” Clark says. And the medical docs agree: Esther Sternberg, MD, an immunologist, research director at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and author of Well at Work, advocates for plenty of healing time at home, starting as soon as you feel symptoms. It’s much better for your body, and it’s kinder to the people around you. “Once you’re sick, you want to do what you can to help your body recover,” she says. “You don’t want to make yourself sicker by adding stress to your already stressed body.” And even if you enjoy your work, being in the office is a stressor. Pushing yourself to complete tasks or endure a presentation is going to set your immune system back—so you’ll actually take longer to get better.

But what does this mean in our new hybrid world, when Slack and texts are on 24-7? If you’re feeling a little congested (or achy, or nauseated) but think you can still be productive, take a remote day. But don’t fall victim to flexibility. Even though you can do a WFH day while sick, you don’t have to. “There’s so much pressure on trying to prove that you’re a good worker by going above and beyond and sacrificing everything else,” Clark says. Don’t give into the guilt.

If you have a teeny cough or a whisper of a sore throat and have to go in for something important, alert the people around you and mask up. (Because yes, you are probably contagious.) “You don’t have to stay home like a pariah,” Yancey says, “but make sure that the people you work with know you’re sick. If you work with someone who has an immunocompromised condition, they can take some precautions.” It should also go without saying that if you are coughing or sneezing, you should up the number of times you’re washing your hands and mitigate any spray. “We train kids to cough or sneeze into the elbow—my kids call it the Dracula sneeze,” Yancey says.

Okay, I’m definitely too sick to go in. But I feel guilty. Should I join meetings virtually?

“I’m forever telling patients: ‘You are sick. You need to relax and recuperate. I give you permission to be sick,’” Yancey says. That’s because Americans are notoriously terrible at unplugging while under the weather. “Stay home, lie on the couch, watch bad daytime TV, and drink orange juice,” she advises. “Take the time to fully relax and let your immune system do its work.” Remember: Less stress = faster recovery.

Once you get past rock bottom and turn a corner (you know that day), consider a few WFH days. “Listen to your body—it will tell you when you can start working,” Sternberg says. Just take it slow. Some virtual social interaction will probably make you feel better (“Studies have shown that people who have a lot of positive relationships have a lower frequency of viral infections, and they get less sick when they are sick,” according to Sternberg), but it could also drain you. “Give yourself time to go offline, to do micro meditations or take naps. De-stress and recharge. It can be 10 minutes,” she says.

I am reentering the world. Should I tell people they don’t have to worry about my lingering cough?

“In cold and flu season, a cough does not need to be explained,” Yancey says. “I think everybody understands.” But if you really want to put colleagues at ease, a simple “Just a tickle in my throat” or “Something went down the wrong pipe” is okay. It’s a quick signal to others that they don’t have to worry (even if it’s not 100 percent true).

What if I’m sniffling and sneezing from allergies?

“Unfortunately, allergy symptoms can be identical to mild cold symptoms, so telling the difference can be difficult,” Yancey says. If you know that it’s ragweed making you miserable,“one strategy you can use is simply saying: ‘Don’t mind me—allergies,’ to let people know they’re not at risk.” It might feel like overkill, but more often than not, you’ll get an understanding smile from someone whose eyes are equally itchy. (FWIW, at least 81 million people in the U.S. dealt with seasonal allergies in 2021.)

And finally, can I work from home if I have cramps?

“If men had periods, everyone would get a week off,” Yancey jokes. She says it depends on the severity—but remember, you shouldn’t feel guilty for resting. And that goes for any painful or chronic condition. So we say: Take the day off.

2024-03-29T12:09:00Z dg43tfdfdgfd