Five simple steps to keeping flu at bay in winter

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Winters coming: There are many common-sense alternatives to vaccinations to prevent the onset of winter colds and flu.

Workplace Staff

The first cold weather of the season is here and soon the sniffles and sneezes will begin, potentially leading to more serious illnesses. Resulting abstinteeism in the workplace remains a constant problem during the winter months.

With the scientific community still undecided on the effectiveness of flu vaccines, Dr Lerato Motshudi, medical adviser at Alexander Forbes Health, said there were other proven ways to reduce the transmission of influenza in the workplace this winter.

There was equally as much evidence supporting the effectiveness of flu vaccines in reducing the incidence and complications of influenza as there was evidence suggesting that vaccines made little to no difference to the spread of infection and flu complications in healthy people.

“Getting back to the basics of good hygiene in the workplace offers a cheaper and more effective way of reducing staff absenteeism this winter” said Motshudi.

Flu vaccines did not immunise work forces against flu, Motshudi pointed out. Instead they theoretically boosted immunities, making individuals more resistant to specific flu viruses.

“They reduce the rate and severity of infection – in theory saving companies millions in lost person hours,” explained Motshudi.

However, the issue isn’t that simple. There are indivudals for whom these vacciantions may work but there are those who will not be aided by them at all

The intention with vaccinations is to give an advantage to the healthy individuals who are looking to remain healthy during peak flu season. But this result has not been conclusively demonstrated.

Motshudi and her team argued that as an alternative to companies spending around R110 000 vaccinating 2 000 employees, they could put a few basic hygiene practices in place that were proven to reduce the transmission of bacteria and viruses, lessening the burden of infections and minimising absenteeism in the workplace.

These practices included:

l Promoting the washing of hands with soap and water – before eating, after using the bathroom or after touching your nose and mouth.

“The flu virus is airborne and enters people’s systems through their mouth and nose,” Motshudi said. “Reducing the ability and the amount of viruses that hitch a ride to your mouth or nose on your hands will reduce infection rates.”

l Maintaining normal personal spaces – When engaging with other people, keeping a normal distance between one another allows for general infectious agents, that may be present, to be well diluted by sufficient air, ultimately decreasing the number of viruses that eventually get through.

l Ensuring good ventilation of work places – Open windows, or good ventilation systems in cases where windows do not open have a measurable impact on reducing airborne viruses.

l Encouraging healthy eating – Consuming vitamins C and E – fresh fruit and most vegetables – in winter was proven to boost immunity and reduce the severity of infections, said Motshudi.

l Exercise – Having a brisk walk outside at lunchtime or other regular exercise is beneficial. Regular exercise sessions that double your heart rate had a documented benefit on the immune system, said Motshudi.

Motshudi said she didn’t intend to discredit the benefits flu vaccines as a whole.

“Among designated risk groups, like the aged, those living in hostels or any groups of individuals with compromised immune systems (diabetics, cancer patients, the highly stressed, HIV-infected), flu vaccines have shown to be up to 90 percent effective in reducing transmission of infection as well as complications,” she said.

“Flu vaccines should most definitely be encouraged among these populations.”

However, in normal healthy populations there was no conclusive evidence that flu vaccines made much difference.

Instead, promoting the basics of good hygiene in the workplace offered “a cost-effective and scientifically proven method to improving organisational health and reducing financial loss through absenteeism this winter”.

l Dr Lerato Motshudi is a medical adviser to the Alexander Forbes Health Group. Contact her at motshudil@aforbes.co.za