Autumn has come around and with the slightly colder weather and darker evenings there’s a good chance that there is a sickness or common cold bug going around your office of workplace.

According to the Guardian recently, the common cold is taking over schools, workplaces and town centres as children head back to school and people’s immune systems are low after spending the last 18 months isolating and wearing masks.

We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t put a handy how-to together about the best ways to help you avoid this years’ cold season, and how to recover quicker if you do happen to fall down from the dreaded bug.

How to Avoid a Common Cold

Avoiding a cold is difficult, so what’s best to do is take the proper precautions against catching one, especially if you come into contact with lots of people (teachers or people working in shops, maybe). The precautions below will give you a great chance of beating those autumn sniffles.

Wash Your Hands Often

This one is obvious and should be programmed into us after the last 18 months of COVID. But washing hands is the best way to avoid bugs of all types. Give your hands a good scrub regularly to avoid the chance of touching something contaminated and it making you sick.

Ventilate Every Room

This one becomes a little harder during the colder months because nobody wants to be cold at work! But old, stale air is more likely to cause illness in a room that is unventilated. Take all you’ve learned from COVID and apply it here.

Provide People with the Right Hygiene Supplies

If your business or organisation provide people with easy ways to be hygienic in the workplace, you will notice that people will usually use them. Provide the best hand sanitiser and washroom facilities and that will help your space become infinitely less likely to be caught up in cold season. Direct 365 offer great value, quality washroom products and services, which can be found here.

Encourage People to Wear Masks

COVID has taught us to embrace the mask, and that doesn’t need to end now just because restrictions have eased. Facemasks are part of other cultures around the world because of their desire to keep illness to a minimum. A change of our culture around illness and masks in workplaces could see people become healthier and reduce workplace sickness days.

While this is all well and good, catching a cold will always be possible. So, what can help you when you get the virus? Here’s a few of our suggestions:

Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated with water or honey and warm water will help loosen congestion and make you feel much better. Caffeine drinks such as coffee will only dehydrate you, so avoid these where you can.

Get the Right Over the Counter Treatments

Over the counter medicine really works, but make sure you get the right ones. Antibiotics don’t work against colds, so stick with hot drink supplements and tablet/liquid medicines that are advertised to sooth cold symptoms. These are much more likely to help.

Gargle Salt Water

If you have a sore throat, this is a great way to sooth it. Just a pinch of salt in a small glass of warm water will help make your throat feel better. While it may not taste the nicest, it is sure to make a difference.

Workplaces are rife for common cold infections because of the mix of people using the same equipment and areas to do their work. Taking some of these tips on board may work in your favour to reduce illness in your workplace.

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