A West Moreton Health physician wants Ipswich locals to change the mentality of ‘soldiering on’ when their sick.
It comes as Ipswich has had a record number of flu cases with more than 2000 lab confirmed cases this year.
There’s also been 3,106 cases of COVID-19; and 2,252 cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and whooping cough is spreading at 16 times the mean in the local region.
Dr Penny Hutchinson, a physician with the West Moreton Public Health Unit, said people have this sense of responsibility that they’ll let people down if they don’t come to work when their sick.
“But you are actually letting people down if you go work because you could spread the disease to them and you recover much faster if you stay at home and rest.
“In fact, they’ve done studies to show if people do stay home when they are sick not only do they recover more quickly but their workplace is also more productive without them,” she said.
West Moreton Public Health Unit physician Dr Penny Hutchinson also emphasised the serious health implications of not only the influenza virus but also RSV and whooping cough.
“Whooping cough is a serious disease that can lead to pneumonia, fits and brain damage from lack of oxygen, particularly in babies and young children.
“You can get whooping cough at any age, but people most at risk include babies under six months (because they are too young to be fully vaccinated) and people who haven’t had a whooping cough booster vaccination in 10 years,” she said.
Dr Hutchinson said local Walking pneumonia’ (mycoplasma pneumonia) is also spreading widely in the community this year.
Hygiene measures
- The best hygiene measures are to wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and consider cleaning frequently touched surfaces like your phone, taps, or door handles.
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow, throw used tissues into the bin, and wash your hands after.
- Consider wearing a mask if you are vulnerable or if you are unwell and need to leave the house.
Vaccination
- Vaccination is the best way to protect against serious illness or being hospitalised with the flu or COVID-19. COVID-19 spreads year-round.
- People over 65, (or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people over 50) are at very high risk of serious health complications from the flu and COVID-19.
- Residents can receive the free flu vaccine at the same time as a COVID-19 booster dose from a pharmacy or GP.
- Free RSV immunisation is now offered to all newborns birthed in Ipswich Hospital, as part of the state-wide RSV immunisation program.
- Whooping cough is a serious disease that can lead to pneumonia, fits and brain damage from a lack of oxygen, particularly in babies and young children. Visit your GP to discuss eligibility for vaccination.
