Infection and Disease

[Bayum]

I'm not sure what the rules or anything say, but:

Say I go back to work under suspicion of Having Whooping Cough, should I inform my employer and be sent home or work the shift and hope my test comes back negative??

 

[Gizmogle]

Where do you work?

Obviously if it's around food and stuff, then I'd say yes.

 

[Bayum]

I work at a Call Centre, using Headsets etc, but the fact is, it's really contagious... Is there like any legislation or anything that says its a notifiable disease or anything? And if I worked the shift, and someone else caught it - could I be in trouble??

 

[Gizmogle]

Hmm...I'm not sure. My college tutor gave my entire class a really nasty cold. Haha.

 

[me123]

Pertussis is a bacterial disease spread among humans only. The vaccination has been administered widely now in the UK for some time, and cases of Whooping Cough have dropped severely. This is a contagious disease, therefore I would recommend not going back to work, particularly if you work in close contact with people (health, education) or with food (chef, McDonalds Employee, Subway Sandwich Artist) or in a confined environment (on a train, plane and so on).

Just a suggestion, but Pertussis is a rather nasty condition and I would be worried about spreading it, and if it is Pertussis, I'd personally like to get some rest. Also, it is most contagious early on (the cold like stage that you probably have now, assuming it is Pertussis) so best to stay away from people I'd say.

EDIT: I worked in a call centre, and know that some colds have probably been spread by headsets (I suppose you have a box full of them as well?). We also had "cogentfingers" which was passed between the keyboards, but I probably shouldn't say much more about that... I'd say that it is best not to work.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

 

[Bayum]

Well, mine started out as a cold... But then I started getting the *hooping* cough, and me being me - thought it was just a cough.. Till my brother went to the doctor, and she heard him - and sent him straight for testing on antibiotics... Problem is - he was down in Cornwall - but, I must have passed it onto him...
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EDIT: I worked in a call centre, and know that some colds have probably been spread by headsets (I suppose you have a box full of them as well?). We also had "cogentfingers" which was passed between the keyboards, but I probably shouldn't say much more about that... I'd say that it is best not to work.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Whats Cogentfingers?? hahahaha

and im feeling a bit better already after being treated with Cefradine, but the cough is still there...

And no - we dont have a box full of headsets, i think we use the same over and over lolz

 

[Beaker]

Yes, it would be ignorant/selfish not to do so anyway.

 

[Gizmogle]

Contagious? Outrageous!

 

[me123]

Whats Cogentfingers?? hahahaha

My place of work was called beCogent, usually shortened to "Cogent". There was an "infection"* going around the keyboards at the computers, where you would develop red rashes on your fingers and they would persist for a while. We were all made to clean the keyboards with alcohol wipes before use.

Thankfully, I never caught it, but those who did said the only noticeable signs were the rashes and a slight irritation from time to time. Apparently there wasn't much more to it than that. It apparently goes away after a few weeks as well without treatment.

*I say infection, but I'm not sure if it was an infection per se.

 

[spoony]

You work in a call centre? Its lucky if people who are healthy turn up there, never mind the sick. I would take a few days off mate

 

[TheSlash]

Work for Network Rail, the TME seems to double as the Doctor, deciding who is ill and what course of action to take. Some time ago he told me i didn't have Glandular Fever, i mentioned a 5 letter word beginning with U and never heard anymore

 

[Bayum]

Well, I get my results on Monday, and if it's all clear, then I start my Routine Baby immunisations on Wednesday, and go through all the baby hoo ha of 1 month, two month, three month and all that...

Also - Does anyone who has had an Intramuscular injection know how long it takes for the muscle to *heal* as it were? My thigh muscle is kinda dead, and not moving without it really hurting...

 

[Gizmogle]

Whooping Cough

Hahaha. I just thought you meant that you have a really whooping cough.
Didn't realise that "Whooping Cough" was actually some kinda diseasey thing lol.

 

[rmt]

I may take a picture of my infected leg for you all.. Its a bit acky.

 

[djw1981]

me123 - a classic post... you should be rewarded.

The correct answer is to ask your GP / hospital doctor, depending on who is guiding your care - they should be able to advise, and provide a covering letter meaning you receive sick pay as appropriate to your T&C. Given the symptoms, I wouldn't want you on the other end of a phone to me anyway!

Incidently callcentre best practice is individual (Named) headsets, which should be decontaminated once a [person leaves, or at the end of each week - like the airlines do with headphones. Allegedly 'response group' do do this but few others do.

Isolate the person (separate bedroom) until he or she has received five days of antibiotics. During this time, everyone who comes into contact with the sick person should wear a surgical mask to cover their face.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/whooping_cough/page6_em.htm#Whooping Cough Treatment could be useful to inform your Team Leader as to why you cannot work!
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I may take a picture of my infected leg for you all.. Its a bit acky.

Is that achey or icky? or a mix?

 

[Aureol]

Hahaha. I just thought you meant that you have a really whooping cough.
Didn't realise that "Whooping Cough" was actually some kinda diseasey thing lol.

Shows how much you paid attention in school

 

[Gizmogle]

We never learnt about that!

 

[Aureol]

We did 8)

 

[djw1981]

Children, children. You want to be glad of immunisation, else you could have had it at school, and thus learned by experience.

 

[rmt]

Is that achey or icky? or a mix?

Bit of both.

 

[djw1981]

Nice one.....but today is my day off......(as if, what I mean is I didn't start on Uni work til 6pm!)

 

[Bayum]

Children, children. You want to be glad of immunisation, else you could have had it at school, and thus learned by experience.

A few people I know have had it even with immunisation!!

But oh wells - hopefully, the test will be negative as I said before.

I'll let you all know come Monday!

 

[djw1981]

Immunisation only helps if you have an immune system to fight the infection though.... and not every one has a good immune system.

 

[Bayum]

Hahaha, mines virtually non existent after my transplant lool!!

And it wiped away all my baby immunisations, as well as my *immunity* to chickenpox - which if I get - im stuffed!!

Yay me!!

 

[me123]

Incidently callcentre best practice is individual (Named) headsets, which should be decontaminated once a [person leaves, or at the end of each week - like the airlines do with headphones. Allegedly 'response group' do do this but few others do.

Now, had this been a few weeks ago I'd have asked you for a source to get some time off work

Actually, our place does have an individual headset scheme, but you have to pay a deposit and I didn't trust them enough to give me the money back at the end. I didn't particularly fancy buying my own either, considering they cost over £100 each! hock:
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I may take a picture of my infected leg for you all.. Its a bit acky.

Please, no! I've spent the last few days looking at an infected, wounded leg

 

[djw1981]

You should get out more then!

 

[me123]

What do you mean? Is it not normal to be reading a Pathology textbook at 11.50pm on a Saturday night?

In my defence I spent yesterday being lazy and did next to no work so I need to catch up so I can have a lazy Sunday.

 

[Broken Viking]

Hail All!

Incidently callcentre best practice is individual (Named) headsets, which should be decontaminated once a [person leaves, or at the end of each week - like the airlines do with headphones. Allegedly 'response group' do do this but few others do.

Hmmm...I've never been anywhere near a call-centre unless it's one that I'm calling as a customer, but I would've thought that individual headsets would've been a default requirement set by the HSE - Especially given that such a device is in constant contact with the hair and flesh (ears), and bacteria/viruses can be transferred by both! hock::roll:

Personally if I was a member of call-centre staff, I would not be willing to work unless I had a headset allocated for my exclusive use - Not just for health and hygiene reasons, but also because it would save me having to readjust the thing every time I go on shift. Furthermore, the last thing I would want to do is use a piece of equipment that was used by someone on the previous shift who had less than adequete personal hygiene...And on the same token, if I was in that kind of state myself I wouldn't want anyone else having to use the same dirty headset that I'd used - Unless it was fully cleaned, disinfected, and the sponges changed beforehand! hock:

Actually, our place does have an individual headset scheme, but you have to pay a deposit and I didn't trust them enough to give me the money back at the end. I didn't particularly fancy buying my own either, considering they cost over £100 each! hock:

Headsets costing over £100,- each?!?!? That goes beyond the realms of obscene, in my opinion! hock::mad:

Again I'm no expert when it comes to call-centre equipment, but I've seen some of the headsets that are used in those environments and they don't look any more expensive or non-disposable to my eye than the complimentary headsets given away on flights and in VWC First. :roll:

After all...We're talking a simple pair of on-the-ear headphones and a condensor microphone on a thin steel boom, and I'd guess that those headsets could easily be mass produced at a cost price of no more than 75p each. Indeed...The headset that I used to use for VoIP calls and World of Warcraft voice chat was particularly well made and comfortable to wear for several hour stretches along with glasses, and it only cost me about £6.00! 8)

Farewell...
>> Death <<

 

[djw1981]

Hail All! Hmmm...I've never been anywhere near a call-centre unless it's one that I'm calling as a customer, but I would've thought that individual headsets would've been a default requirement set by the HSE - Especially given that such a device is in constant contact with the hair and flesh (ears), and bacteria/viruses can be transferred by both! hock::roll:

Personally if I was a member of call-centre staff, I would not be willing to work unless I had a headset allocated for my exclusive use - Not just for health and hygiene reasons, but also because it would save me having to readjust the thing every time I go on shift. Furthermore, the last thing I would want to do is use a piece of equipment that was used by someone on the previous shift who had less than adequete personal hygiene...And on the same token, if I was in that kind of state myself I wouldn't want anyone else having to use the same dirty headset that I'd used - Unless it was fully cleaned, disinfected, and the sponges changed beforehand! hock:

Headsets costing over £100,- each?!?!? That goes beyond the realms of obscene, in my opinion! hock::mad:

Again I'm no expert when it comes to call-centre equipment, but I've seen some of the headsets that are used in those environments and they don't look any more expensive or non-disposable to my eye than the complimentary headsets given away on flights and in VWC First. :roll:

After all...We're talking a simple pair of on-the-ear headphones and a condensor microphone on a thin steel boom, and I'd guess that those headsets could easily be mass produced at a cost price of no more than 75p each. Indeed...The headset that I used to use for VoIP calls and World of Warcraft voice chat was particularly well made and comfortable to wear for several hour stretches along with glasses, and it only cost me about £6.00! 8)

Farewell...
>> Death <<

Sigh but HSE only respond to reports and if staff are unaware that the headsets should be cleaned then they will not report the non cleaning of headsets.

Yes skin is a good source of infection, but the mouthpiece is actually the worst bit - lots of warm damp air passing over it is a good bacteria environment, hence why most mics are now supposed to be the thin glass/plastic tube with electrics inside type rather than a microphone with a mesh of foam grill over, to make them wipe clean - this is where the cost comes from. Durability is also a factor - they need to be comfortable, but also hard wearing. Most domestic / VoIP ones are not. The headsets also need to have built in auto Graphic EQ and De-esser to remove some of the sybillance and popping you get with close mic'ing. That electronics is not cheap.

The earphones also need to allow the ear to breathe - sweating leads to water in ear canal meaning a) sound is dulled, thus the operator turns the volume u, thus potentially damaging their hearing and b) water damp - great bacteria site - you can get the same by overuse of a mobile.

You also, ideally want a level of noise exculsion technlogy - with double eared headsets, thus allows some cancellation of the background noise, thus meaning that the headset volume can be lower, and avoid occupation related hearing loss.

Many professional products cost a hell of a lot more than consumer ones - the main reasons are durability, standardisation, quality and reliability. Remember a FT call centre operative may be wearing a headset upwards of 2000hrs p.a. Some headsets could thus see 4-5000 hours use per year.
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What do you mean? Is it not normal to be reading a Pathology textbook at 11.50pm on a Saturday night?

In my defence I spent yesterday being lazy and did next to no work so I need to catch up so I can have a lazy Sunday.

If you turn into one of thoise students I will hunt you and beat you to death. Go out and be a student. Student first, medic second in First year! There's bars to go to, JAffa Cake societies to join, bands to play in and bad films to see! And thats before we start on the 'wine, women and song' angle to uni life. Equally most of first ear can be done between 9-9 Mon-Fri!

 

[Bayum]

Well, my test came back Negative, as did my brothers... Which means that we're back to square one trying to work out what it is.

Oh the joys of being ill!