Question for the resident medics-Colds and Flu's

[Inch]

It's cold and flu season and currently there's an upper respiratory infection going around, at least here in Halifax. I went to the MIR this morning to get grounded since I wouldn't be able to fly in the condition I'm in and as I left the MIR, a question popped into my head based on what the medic had told me. He said that colds and URIs tend to spread and take weeks to go away since most supervisors won't allow their people to go home and get better while at the same time, not getting everyone else sick too. I went up the the hangar to let my course director know that I was grounded and he said "that sucks, see you in a couple days" I went down the hall to let my coursemates know and they said something along the lines of "Keep your sickness away from me, go the F*** home!"

So what I'm wondering is, is it just pilots and aircrew that are so protective of their health? If that's the case, why doesn't the MIR give out "sick in quarters" more often in an attempt to prevent the spread of such infections if supervisors are not allowing their pers to go home? I understand that sometimes there are jobs that absolutely have to be done and some circumstances that wouldn't permit that sort of thing, ie courses.   I would imagine that there are probably a few slackers that would try to take advantage of the system, but there's got to be a happy medium in order to prevent Wing/Base wide URIs and maintain a healthy and productive workplace.

Thoughts?

 

[Armymedic]

why doesn't the MIR give out "sick in quarters" more often in an attempt to prevent the spread of such infections if supervisors are not allowing their pers to go home? I understand that sometimes there are jobs that absolutely have to be done and some circumstances that wouldn't permit that sort of thing, ie courses. I would imagine that there are probably a few slackers that would try to take advantage of the system, but there's got to be a happy medium in order to prevent Wing/Base wide URIs and maintain a healthy and productive workplace.

Because when we sent 1/2 the strength of a unit home with excused duties or sick in quarters because of a cold, the CoC loses it mind at us....

Reality is not so much the spread at work, but catching it from your wife and kids, or your neighbours in the shacks. At my UMS, we/I generally don't give out XD (excused duties) or SQ (sick in quarters) unless the guy is really ill due to lack of sleep, vomitting, diarrhea, or fever. Usually I'll ask what the guy is doing and give them the option of going home or not.

Then on the way out the door we tell them to wash their hands more often, because thats how URTI's are most commonly spread.

 

[Inch]

Because when we sent 1/2 the strength of a unit home with excused duties or sick in quarters because of a cold, the CoC loses it mind at us....

Reality is not so much the spread at work, but catching it from your wife and kids, or your neighbours in the shacks. At my UMS, we/I generally don't give out XD (excused duties) or SQ (sick in quarters) unless the guy is really ill due to lack of sleep, vomitting, diarrhea, or fever. Usually I'll ask what the guy is doing and give them the option of going home or not.

Then on the way out the door we tell them to wash their hands more often, because thats how URTI's are most commonly spread.

That's what I figured, it must be an aircrew thing since if we're grounded, there really is no point in us being at work.