HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, July 9, 2021 (HealthDay Information) — Your job might considerably enhance your danger of catching the flu, with potential implications for the unfold of different infectious illnesses together with COVID-19, in response to new analysis.
On common, working of us are 35% extra prone to get the flu than these with out jobs, however an evaluation of U.S. federal information discovered sharp variations between sure jobs and industries.
The extra work-related contact folks had with others, the higher their flu danger. For instance, folks working in gross sales had a 41% larger danger than farmers, and people in training, well being and social companies jobs had a 52% larger danger than miners.
The findings took under consideration particular person traits corresponding to vaccinations and health insurance.
Charges had been bigger in dangerous flu years and had been per regard to firm dimension, variety of jobs and hours labored, in response to analysis accepted for publication within the Journal of Public Economics.
Researchers instructed their findings might affect authorities insurance policies on a number of points affecting personal corporations, from design and administration of bodily work areas to insurance policies on sick depart and distant work.
Examine writer Dongya Koh, an assistant professor of economics on the College of Arkansas Sam M. Walton School of Enterprise, mentioned the findings should not shock anybody.
“We hope they’re related for an understanding of the unfold of flu and different infectious illnesses transmitted by way of respiratory droplets or shut human contact, together with SARS and COVID,” he mentioned in a college information launch.
Koh mentioned the outcomes open the door for an evaluation of “nonpharmaceutical insurance policies” to fight contagion and probably pandemics.
“On this sense, we expect these outcomes present a foundation for an organizational coverage that each protects staff and optimizes manufacturing and effectivity,” Koh mentioned.
Extra data
The American Academy of Household Physicians affords flu prevention tips.
SOURCE: College of Arkansas, information launch, June 26, 2021
