The 2017–2018 cold and flu season has been one of the most aggressive in recent history and is wreaking havoc in 49 of America’s 50 states. Over 600,000 hospitalizations have occurred as the result of flu/flu-like symptoms. There were 20 influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported as of the first week of January 2018 and 27 healthy adults have died in California alone. Hospitals and urgent care facilities are inundated, causing several hours’ wait time. Medical centers have set up “warlike” tented triage centers in hospital parking lots and are running low on IVs and antivirals. Dan Jernigan, MD, MPH, director of the Influenza Division at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, says “People are definitely working overtime, doing double shifts, and coming in extra days.”
How can we keep the caregivers healthy so that they can continue to treat patients during this epidemic?
In a previous article, “Who Cares: Caring for the Caregiver—the Fourth Aim in the Quadruple Aim,” we talked about improving the experience of providing care as the fourth aim. This aim resonates with the healthcare industry in a cold and flu season such as the one we are experiencing—supporting physicians and their staff for the common goal of successfully treating patients and keeping them well.
Here are 10 recommendations from healthcare industry resources for ways physicians and their staff can stay healthy during the cold and flu season.
- Don’t infect your colleagues. If you are sick, stay home.
- Get vaccinated. The 2017–2018 flu seasons represents one of the most problematic in recent history. The current strain—H3N2—is one of the most harmful, historically known to cause many more hospitalizations and deaths than other strains, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Hold your breath! If you are around sick people and someone coughs or sneezes, hold your breath for 10 to 15 seconds. Most germs enter your body through your nose or mouth. MIT recently revealed that coughs and sneezes—and their potentially infectious droplets—travel much further distances than previously thought.
- Don’t bite your nails. Can’t you hear your mother’s voice in your head? “Germs build up underneath your nails, and biting them is an absolute way to let bacteria into your body,” says Scott S. Topiol, RN, and president of Nurseworld.com.
- Did you ever think of washing your washing machine? Wash everything you touch—including your washing machine. Shawn Westadt Mueller, MSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC, director of infection prevention and control at Medstar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, says “Bacteria like warm, dark, and moist places, so your washing machine could harbor germs.” Wash everything you touch, especially during this flu crisis. Clean your cell phone. Wash your remote control, light switches, doorknobs, bed rails, and your PC keyboard. Children’s toys are incubators for germs. Good old soap and hot water, bleach, or alcohol will do the trick every time.
- Drink moderately. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has shared studies that show more than moderate alcohol consumption can suppress the immune system. A recommended limit is one drink per day for women, and up to two drinks per day for men.
- Limit sugar. Avoid raiding the kid’s Halloween stash on a regular basis especially during the cold and flu season. According to Michelle Katz, author of “Healthcare Made Easy,” sugar inhibits white blood cells in the fight against bacteria and viruses.
- Include probiotics with your daily vitamin supplements. The majority of our immune system is located in the stomach. Alexander Rinehart, a certified nutrition specialist, says, “Your gut is a barrier between the outside world and your body’s internal world.”
- Daily moderate exercise is recommended, but not too excessive. Scott Weiss, MD, says that there is a 72-hour period following extreme exercise (for 40 to 60 minutes) that our bodies need to recover and are more susceptible to becoming ill.
- Get some fresh air. A reason why colds and flu spread so quickly during the winter is that we have a tendency to spend more time inside, where the germs are, because it’s cold.
As a closing thought, in addition to maintaining healthy lifestyle habits, the American Medical Association states that every physician should have a physician. Doctors who take care of themselves are better role models for their patients and, in return, remain healthy to take care of them.
REFERENCES
American Medical Association Policy E-9.0305.2004.
Brooke Porter Katz, 9 Ways Doctors and Nurses Avoid Getting Sick, January 14, 2015. https://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/how-doctors-avoid-sickness.
Resilience — A New Take on Physician Wellness, An Educational Program from the Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc.
Who Cares? Caring for the Caregiver—The Fourth Aim in the Quadruple Aim. CAPsules. October 2017-Vol 23.
Michelle Katz, MSN, LPN, Healthcare Made Easy—Answers to all of your Healthcare Questions Under the Affordable Care Act. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21425050-healthcare-made-easy, November 18, 2014.
WebMD, Preventing Cold & Flu: How Doctors Keep Germs at Bay, WebMD Magazine, Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD on October 5, 2009.
WellMD, Stanford Medicine, http://wellmd.stanford.edu, accessed June 25, 2015.
Gwen C. Spence is Senior Account Manager, CAP Membership Services. Questions or comments related to this article should be directed to gspence@CAPphysicians.com.