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This is a horse that has been beaten so much there are only a few bones left. Until employers start encouraging people to stay home when sick, and actually provide the sick days to do so, instead of punishing the employee for doing so, people will come to work sick and get others sick. Beyond taking the pay cut for the day because some employers don't give paid sick days, I have seen people get singled out and get hours cut, get crap work for weeks after or some other nonsense that is clearly a, "You did bad for staying home while sick, this is your punishment, you think about this next time you're sick," type of situation. It isn't right, but it's reality, and only the employers have the power to stop it.
The problem is there will always be those one or two employees that abuse the sick day policy which causes everybody else to be penalized. Five days a year is definitely not enough sick time which is why people go to work with colds that quickly spread to everybody else in the department. Now I know some companies will allow you to accrue your sick time which is great if you don't use it and need to have surgery. Others make you use those 5 days or lose it entirely.
Many viral infections are highly contagious before a person notices obvious symptoms and this is when the risk of contagion is the highest. They might feel a headache or joint pain but not run a fever so they suck it up and go to work. Everybody's immune system is different so what might be a couple of "bleh" days for you could possibly be fatal for the 70yr old client you shook hands with that happens to be a diabetic.
Bacterial infections have the opportunity to infect at any stage of the game provided they have access (non-intact skin, body fluids,etc..).
Caught early, many bacterial infections are suseptible to antibiotics. With a viral infection you can only treat the symptoms.
Your best defense is hygiene; hand washing goes a long way. Vaccinations IF there is no history of adverse reactions.
No use getting all OCD about things though, sometimes what doesn't kill you CAN make you stronger!
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