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When I was working, I had to have what is known as a 'scrum' every Monday morning to discuss my upcoming weeks tasks to my team. This meant face-to-face reporting while standing around a small table in a small cubicle area. It never failed; during FLU season, there would always be someone there with symptoms, and they wouldn't want to miss work, so stayed on the job until they (and we), were really sick. The problem was, every two years, I came down with some really severe symptoms, and last year, got pneumonia because of this. I was totally nailed by it and didn't work for two weeks. To try to prevent this, the company did its best, and provided on-site medical staff, plenty of hand-wipes and alcohol cleaners available everywhere, and distributed clean drinking containers that were filled with purified water at new touch-less drinking-water stations so we didn't have to contact drinking fountains. Still, with the number of people we interacted with on a daily basis, it was a crap-shoot as to whether or not we were going to be protected. This year, FLU appears to be pretty bad.
My question is this: Now that you are retired, is the incidence of FLU you get reduced due to co-worker exposure- or the same?
When I was working, I had to have what is known as a 'scrum' every Monday morning to discuss my upcoming weeks tasks to my team. This meant face-to-face reporting while standing around a small table in a small cubicle area. It never failed; during FLU season, there would always be someone there with symptoms, and they wouldn't want to miss work, so stayed on the job until they (and we), were really sick. The problem was, every two years, I came down with some really severe symptoms, and last year, got pneumonia because of this. I was totally nailed by it and didn't work for two weeks. To try to prevent this, the company did its best, and provided on-site medical staff, plenty of hand-wipes and alcohol cleaners available everywhere, and distributed clean drinking containers that were filled with purified water at new touch-less drinking-water stations so we didn't have to contact drinking fountains. Still, with the number of people we interacted with on a daily basis, it was a crap-shoot as to whether or not we were going to be protected. This year, FLU appears to be pretty bad.
My question is this: Now that you are retired, is the incidence of FLU you get reduced due to co-worker exposure- or the same?
It only makes sense that the fewer people you expose yourself to, the less chance you have of getting the flu.
Your company should have insisted that people with flu symptoms stay home or they should have sent them home if they came to work sick instead of providing an on-site medical staff. That's rather like telling someone to jump off a bridge because there are paramedics at the bottom.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Could be reduced if you stay home (maybe)
but...
Dr's office visiting sick friends in hospital...
I am very cautious of 'checkers' (handling money / sneezing on your stuff (groceries / food)).
I have been known to WALK away from my Food Order if waiter / host / cook is ill.
Worst risk for me is flying (air quality / seat mates / confined spaces / public spaces (railings / carts / seats...)
It only makes sense that the fewer people you expose yourself to, the less chance you have of getting the flu.
Your company should have insisted that people with flu symptoms stay home or they should have sent them home if they came to work sick instead of providing an on-site medical staff. That's rather like telling someone to jump off a bridge because there are paramedics at the bottom.
The company did, and sent out memos to employees every season. Nobody was ever lectured about taking time off if they felt ill, and in fact, the managers were prompted to encourage workers to STAY HOME if they felt ill. Unfortunately, my co-workers were diligent to a fault. I don't blame them for the ethic; I used to feel bad for staying home when everybody else was working.
It’s the same. I traded co-workers for elementary school-aged grandkids. I do the handwashing do-not-touch-the-face routine, but it’s the spontaneous hugs and kisses that do me in. Oops.
This flu season is scary. I was in urgent care today and talked to a nurse who said they see many flu cases every day. She said they've all tested positive.
She also recommended wearing a mask across your nose and mouth when out in public and washing hands with soap and water regularly. Don't count on hand sanitizer, it won't protect you. Your vaccination won't fully protect you, either, but get it anyway if you haven't already. High-dose vaccines are available for those 65 and over.
Where I use to work they sent people home who had symptoms of flu or cold. That really helped the heath of staff. No one got brownie points showing up to Work sick.
When I retired, I took off in an RV for 2 years. I was not around people that much. I was mostly outdoors, getting exercise. In addition I stayed away from cold areas of the country. I was not sick once.
When I returned to civilization that changed immediately. I seemed to have no immunity and was sick with one cold or flu after another for months.
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visiting sick friends in hospital... 
