HomeNewsArticle Display


Redirecting...

Feeling sick? Maxwell experts weigh-in on the flu

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Erica Picariello
  • 42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  Feeling under-the-weather? Chances are, you're not alone.

According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery and neighboring Autauga County are currently experiencing significant influenza activity. That fact, coupled with the Centers for Disease Control's website declaring that the United States is "in the midst of this season's flu epidemic," makes flu prevention high on most Maxwell-Gunter dweller's minds.

Medical professionals at the 42nd Medical Group have recommendations to keep the germs at bay and decrease mission impact.

"Wash your hands, cough into your sleeves and ideally, come into the clinic early-on  so we can take measures to maintain health and prevent the spread of the disease," said Lt. Col. David Simmons, 42nd MDG Aerospace Medicine chief. "If you are diagnosed with influenza, medication can be prescribed that will generally decrease the amount of time you have symptoms by a day or a day and a half of sick time. This maybe not a big deal for the individual but when you start looking across the whole organization, a day of everybody in the organization being sick would be serious mission impact."

The flu and flu-like illness can have similar symptoms, but there are distinct differences.

"The cardinal symptoms of the flu are fever, body aches, cough and headache. If you don't have a fever you probably don't have the flu," said Col. Stephen Mitchell, 42nd MDG Medical Operations Squadron commander. "However, if you do have any of those symptoms, you should come to the clinic to get Department of Defense influenza testing."

The clinic uses a saline gargle to test for influenza that not only provides timely results, but aids next year's flu season.

"A lot of times when you're tested for Strep  Throat or other bacteria, the medical professional will use a swab, but this is actually introducing saline into the nasal passages to get mucous. This sample is sent out, and we get a result in 24-72 hours. The test goes a long way in telling us not only if you actually have the flu, but it will tell us what strain and those results will affect what goes into the vaccine for the next year."

Good hygiene and being self-aware can help prevent the spread of sickness throughout a unit, but a big-ticket-item for prevention requires a medical professional.

"If you haven't gotten your flu vaccine, make sure you get your flu vaccine," said Mitchell. "One of the things that we can do, even though the flu vaccine is for specific flu strains, is to protect ourselves. There is some cross-protection that happens even if the strain you have isn't an exact match for what is in the vaccine. The fewer people that get the symptoms, less people will actually be affected."

One of the easiest ways to prevent the flu or flu-like symptoms from popping up around work centers is to not be in the work center.

"The absolute most important thing to do is to keep someone outside of work when they are sick," said Maj. Jill Roser, 42nd MDG Public Health Flight commander. "Supervisors should always be aware that they have the ability to grant 24-hours of quarters without having the person be seen by a provider."

Hard-charging Airmen might be apt to keep pushing through the day, thinking their symptoms aren't that bad instead of being seen by the clinic, but they need to change their mindset, the MDOS commander said.

"Stay home," Mitchell stated. "If you don't feel well, if you are even concerned that you don't feel well, stay home. The fact is that you could come in and affect several other people, which is going to decrease the productivity in the work area exponentially."
Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III recently wrapped-up January's State of the Air Force briefing by saying, "This is the greatest Air Force anywhere in the world, and it is so primarily because of our Airmen." The 42 MDG leaders agree, and implore Airmen across Maxwell-Gunter to think globally when it comes to flu-like illness and continuing the mission.

"What I tell my people is that I'd rather you stay home for one or two days, make sure you're symptom free and you're not going to pass it on. That's going to go a lot further than you deciding whether or not to come in to tough-out one day of work," Mitchell said.