Preventing respiratory infections in the workplace

Every year, flu keeps some 5-15% of workers in Belgium at home for 3-6 days. Add covid, pneumonia and other infectious diseases and you have a large group of workers who drop out.

At the same time, 3 out of 4 employees sometimes work through illness. This means they can potentially infect other colleagues. Proper prevention measures and a good absence policy can limit the consequences.

Preventing respiratory infections starts by implementing some simple prevention measures:

1. Wash hands regularly
   Regular washing hands with soap and water remains one of the most effective ways to eliminate germs.
2. Cough and sneeze hygiene
   Cough or sneeze into a paper handkerchief or the inside of your elbow.
3. Ventilation
   Ensure good air circulation in the workplace to reduce the spread of pathogens.
4. Vaccination
   Offer flu vaccinations to employees.

People at higher risk of serious infectious diseases, such as the elderly, pregnant women and people with chronic diseases or a weakened immune system, need extra protection. For them, vaccination is strongly recommended.

Generally speaking, no specific measures currently apply for the detection and prevention of COVID-19. The same principles as for other respiratory diseases apply.

There was a time when covid testing was almost a daily occurrence.  Today, an antigen test or PCR is no longer recommended. However, in case of symptoms, Sciensano does still recommend a covid self-test.

Is a self-test positive? Then it should not be confirmed by a PCR or antigen rapid test.

Wearing masks is no longer mandatory in most cases, except in specific healthcare sectors. For people with symptoms of respiratory infection, wearing a mask is still strongly recommended, especially in crowded places or when in contact with vulnerable people.

It is a simple measure to limit the spread of pathogens, be it covid, flu or any other infectious disease.

Isolation and quarantine are no longer mandatory in case of a positive test or symptoms of COVID-19. However, the diseases are still contagious, so it is still important to respect barrier measures, such as staying home in case of severe symptoms and avoiding contact with others until you are better.

A healthy working environment is a shared responsibility of employer and employee. Therefore, make clear agreements around sickness and absenteeism.

Note: isolation measures related to COVID-19 do still apply to the healthcare sector, please refer to the Sciensano website.

Employees with respiratory symptoms are best to take extra care to protect the health of colleagues. Give them the recommendations below:

Stay home when sick

If someone feels sick, it is best for the person to stay home and consult a GP if necessary.
This prevents the spread of germs and gives the employee time to recover.

Work at home in case of mild symptoms

Does the employee have a cough or other mild symptoms? Then opt for working from home if possible. This will help you stay productive without infecting others.

At work with symptoms

If working at home is not possible, ask the employee to wear a mouth mask and keep their distance from colleagues, if necessary. Make sure the workspace is well ventilated. This way, you can still help limit the spread of germs.