Hey Maine, if You Are Sick, Please Stay Home From Work

Doesn’t it feel like the COVID-19 pandemic changed the whole sick “game”?

Prior to March of 2020, when we were sick, we stayed home.  Sure, there were always a few people who felt they needed to push through their sickness and go to work or school, but most people took advantage of their illness.

Being sick gave you a free day off.  It gave you a chance to sit around the house, playing Call of Duty, and binge-watching old episodes of The Office.

Of course, the added benefit to everyone you normally encounter in a day was that you weren’t spreading your ick to them.

In our post-pandemic world, everything has changed.

Now, because we spent several years being concerned about the coronavirus, we are far less concerned about the old-school flu.

If we have a stuffy nose, sore throat, or a fever, we just take a COVID-19 test.  If it comes back negative, no matter how sick we are, we chug some Dayquil and make our way to work.

Or, if we ran out of COVID-19 tests, we take the smell/taste test.  You know what I mean.  We sniff a scented candle or taste some sriracha sauce.  If we can smell and taste those items, we must be fine.  Right?

If that’s you, please stop.

Even though it isn’t COVID-19, you’re still spreading other nasty viruses.

According to a new article from WGME, cases of the flu are on the rise in Maine.  The article explains that cases of the flu nearly doubled in December, going from 260 to 510 cases.  Additional data shows that the Maine CDC has logged 673 cases.

You can keep an eye on how many flu cases there are in Maine, and the other New England states, on the CDC website.

Yes, I am sympathetic to those trying to get by on hourly jobs.  The only thing I can say is that it is better to be out of work one or two days, than push yourself so hard that you need to be out of work for a week.

What do you think?  Do you agree?  Let me know your thoughts by messaging us in our app.