Survey: Half of flu victims continue to work

Nearly a quarter go outdoors despite their fever, muscle pains or stuffed nose and only 18% work from home.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
sneeze 88 (photo credit: )
sneeze 88
(photo credit: )
How does the average Israeli nurse a cold or influenza? A new survey conducted by Market Watch for a pharmaceutical company has found that half continue to go to work, while the rest stay home. Of those who don't go to work, most women prefer to sleep, while more men choose to spend their enforced rest surfing the Internet than doing anything else. Nearly half of all respondents over 18 in the representative sample said they like to watch TV when sick at home, while 35 percent read newspapers, magazines or books. Nearly a quarter go outdoors despite their fever, muscle pains or stuffed nose and only 18% work from home (most of these being from high income groups). A third of those surveyed took sick days due to a cold or flu this winter; people with a higher education or income were more likely to take sick leave. A third of those queried said they took off as many sick days this winter as last year, while 23% were sicker last winter and 17% said they were sick for more days this year than last year. Almost half go to the doctor when they have a winter illness that seems to them to be the flu - many people confuse their symptoms with those of an ordinary cold. Women were more likely (53%) to visit the doctor for "flu" than men (44%). People who said they were religiously observant were most likely (74%) to go to their family doctor when they had the "flu." Despite the unpleasantness and sometimes serious risks of the flu, almost 80% of those aged 18 and over did not get flu vaccinations this winter or last, but those over 65 years old were more likely to have done so. Nearly half said paracetamol was the drug that most helped them to get their fever down, followed by 11% who mentioned Optalgin. But 11% said they don't take any fever reducers or pain relievers at all for winter illness. About two-fifths of those polled said they believe in home remedies for such illnesses, with hot tea or other beverages at the top of the list; 13% chose chicken soup and 13% forgo all home remedies.