How to Know When to Take Sick Leave

Sometimes, deciding whether to take a sick day from school or work can be challenging. On one hand, you might not feel well and don't want to spread illness to others, but on the other hand, you may have a lot of responsibilities. It's important to recognize the signs of contagious illnesses and follow public health guidelines from healthcare agencies. Ultimately, if you must go to work or school while sick, take precautions to prevent spreading the illness to others.

Stay home if you have a fever. If your temperature is 38°C (100.4°F) or higher, you should take sick leave until your temperature returns to normal (37°C or 98.6°F) for at least one day. Taking fever-reducing medication doesn't count. Essentially, you are still sick and capable of spreading the illness.

• Infants with a fever above 38°C (100.4°F) should be taken to the emergency room.
• A high fever is often accompanied by chills followed by sweating.

Stay home if you're coughing heavily. Intense, deep coughing that feels as if it originates from your lungs may indicate an infectious illness. In this case, you should not go to school or work. Consider consulting a doctor.

Don't go to work or school if you're vomiting. Keep your distance from others until you're no longer vomiting and a doctor confirms your illness isn't contagious. Vomiting can lead to dehydration and weakness in your body.

• Take care of yourself by drinking plenty of water. If drinking water causes you to vomit, try sucking on ice chips. This method helps hydrate your body slowly and reduces the likelihood of vomiting.
• If you're unable to control vomiting after consuming any liquids and are at risk of severe dehydration, you may need emergency treatment. In such cases, you could receive intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include fatigue, headaches, infrequent urination, dark or cloudy urine, and crying without tears.

Take sick leave if you have diarrhea. Loose or watery stools typically indicate an infection. Stay close to the bathroom and avoid going to school or work until you recover.

• If your diarrhea is caused by food or medication, it's not considered contagious. In this case, you're well enough to carry on with normal activities without needing to stay home.
• Diarrhea leads to significant fluid loss, so it’s essential to drink plenty of fluids. Make sure to hydrate even if you don't feel thirsty.

Stay home and seek medical attention if you have a rash. If the rash turns into open sores that ooze or spreads rapidly, seek medical advice. Do not go to work or school until a doctor confirms you're not dealing with a contagious illness.

• A rash caused by allergies is not contagious. If you can manage the symptoms, you can continue working or attending school.
• For mild rashes, you may go out normally if they’re covered. Consult with your school nurse or a doctor for confirmation.

Prevent spreading a cold to others. If you have a cold, you may not need to stay home. However, if your symptoms aren't severe enough to warrant sick leave, take precautions to protect others. You can:

• Wash your hands frequently
• Avoid hugging or shaking hands with others
• Don’t share food or drinks with others
• Turn away when sneezing or coughing, and cover your mouth with your elbow.
• Use tissues if you have a runny nose.

Do not send your child to school if they are suffering from a vaccine-preventable disease. If your child has come into contact with unvaccinated children or those with weakened immune systems, they may be at risk of contracting the disease. Wait until a doctor confirms that your child is healthy enough to attend school. These illnesses include:

• Measles: Symptoms resemble a cold, and the child develops a rash. An infected person can spread the disease four days before the rash appears and for the first four days after. Wait until the doctor gives permission for your child to return to school.
• Mumps: This illness causes flu-like symptoms and swelling of the salivary glands. Follow the doctor’s and school’s instructions to determine how long the child should stay home.
• Rubella: This disease causes flu-like symptoms and a pinkish rash. It can cause birth defects if the mother contracts it. Check with the doctor or school nurse to know when your child can return to school.
• Whooping Cough: This disease combines flu and cold symptoms, with severe coughing and breathing difficulties. Ask the doctor or school nurse how long your child remains contagious.
• Chickenpox: Symptoms include flu-like signs and blisters. An infected person can spread the disease from two days before the blisters appear until they scab over. Consult the doctor on when your child can safely return to school.

Keep your child at home if they have pink eye. Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is a contagious condition that causes redness in the eye and sticky, yellow-green discharge.

• As the eyes itch, children may rub them, then touch other children or shared toys, making it easy for the infection to spread.
• Once treatment begins, your child may return to school when the doctor confirms they are no longer contagious.

Keep your child home for a day if they are diagnosed with impetigo. However, if your child is receiving treatment under a doctor’s supervision, they can attend school unless the doctor advises otherwise.

• Impetigo is a contagious infection characterized by the appearance of pus-filled blisters. These blisters may leak and scab over. They should be covered when your child goes to school.
• Impetigo can be caused by infections from streptococcus, staphylococcus, or MRSA.

Keep your child home if they have a sore throat. This condition is marked by swelling in the throat. Take your child to the doctor, as they may need antibiotics.

• Children may feel well enough to return to school after taking antibiotics for 24 hours.
• Consult with the doctor for advice regarding this situation.

Cho trẻ nghỉ học trong khoảng một tuần nếu trẻ mắc viêm gan A. Đây là một bệnh về gan có khả năng lây nhiễm cao và gây ra hiện tượng chóng mặt, nôn mửa, đau ở gần gan, đau khớp, nước tiểu sậm màu, phân có màu đất sét, mắt và da bị vàng. Nếu bạn cho rằng trẻ bị mắc viêm gan A, hãy đưa trẻ đi khám ngay lập tức.

• Nếu trẻ mất hơn một tuần mới đủ khỏe để đi học lại, bạn nên để trẻ ở nhà nghỉ ngơi thêm một thời gian nữa.

Hỏi ý kiến bác sĩ ngay khi trẻ kêu đau tai hoặc có dịch lỏng chảy ra từ tai. Nếu cơn đau này bắt nguồn từ sự nhiễm khuẩn, trẻ có thể cần phải dùng kháng sinh.

• Có thể trẻ sẽ không tập trung học hành cho tới khi tai hết bị đau. Hãy để trẻ ở nhà cho tới khi khỏe lại.
• Những cơn đau tai có thể là do nhiễm khuẩn hoặc vi-rút. Nếu không điều trị, bệnh này có thể dẫn tới mất thính giác.

Hãy cho trẻ đi học khi việc điều trị các loại bệnh truyền nhiễm đã bắt đầu được thực hiện. Hãy hỏi ý kiến bác sĩ và y tá của trường. Có thể cho trẻ đi học hoặc tới nhà trẻ nếu trẻ mắc một trong số những bệnh nhiễm trùng phổ biến sau đây:

• Ghẻ ngứa. Nguyên nhân của bệnh là do mạt ghẻ cư trú dưới da và đẻ trứng. Nó sẽ gây ra mụn đỏ và các đường rãnh dưới da, gây ra cảm giác ngứa dữ dội. Hãy gặp bác sĩ để được kê thuốc điều trị.
• Chấy. Chấy là những con côn trùng sống trong tóc người và đẻ trứng. Chúng gây ngứa nhưng không mang mầm bệnh nguy hiểm. Trứng của chúng sẽ dính trên tóc và có thể gỡ ra dễ dàng bằng lược bí. Nếu cần, bạn có thể cho trẻ nghỉ học vài ngày để trị chấy. Các loại dầu gội trị chấy có thể được bán theo đơn thuốc hoặc không.
• Nấm da. Nấm da là một loại bệnh nhiễm trùng với những đốm tròn như chiếc nhẫn trên da. Đưa trẻ đi khám để xem trẻ có cần dùng thuốc trị nấm da không. Vùng da bị bệnh cần được che lại khi trẻ đến trường.
• Ban đỏ nhiễm khuẩn cấp. Bệnh này có triệu chứng giống cảm cúm. Ở giai đoạn cuối của bệnh, những nốt phát ban thường xuất hiện trên mặt và những nơi khác trên cơ thể. Vì những nốt phát ban cũng xuất hiên trên má, bệnh này còn được gọi là bệnh đỏ má. Khi ban nổi lên, trẻ sẽ không còn khả năng lây bệnh. Đưa trẻ đến bác sĩ nếu trẻ bị thiếu máu hồng cầu lưỡi liềm hoặc hệ thống miễn dịch bị yếu đi. Bệnh này cũng rất nguy hiểm đối với thai nhi nếu bị tiếp xúc với nguồn bệnh.
• Bệnh chân-tay-miệng. Bệnh gây ra những nốt mụn rất đau trong miệng và những nốt đỏ trên bàn tay, bàn chân. Bệnh này cũng có thể gây sốt và sưng họng. Nếu trẻ bị chảy nước dãi và lở miệng, hãy cho trẻ nghỉ học.

Tránh tới gần người khác khi bạn bị ốm. Nếu bạn phải đi làm hoặc đi học khi bị ốm, bạn có thể giảm tối đa khả năng lây bệnh cho người khác bằng cách giữ khoảng cách. Bạn có thể:

• Tránh ôm nhau. Nếu cần, hãy giải thích với mọi người là bạn đang cảm thấy không khỏe và không muốn khiến họ bị lây bệnh. Có thể họ sẽ đồng tình với bạn rằng tránh xa bạn là tốt nhất.
• Đừng rướn người về phía người khác khi nói chuyện hoặc nhìn vào màn hình máy tính sau lưng họ.
• Đeo khẩu trang để tránh vô tình thở vào mặt người khác.
• Tránh bắt tay.

Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. This helps prevent the spread of germs to others and to commonly touched surfaces.

• Use a tissue to cover your mouth and dispose of it immediately after use. Even if it looks clean, the virus can still be transferred to the tissue.
• If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow rather than your hands. The elbow is less likely to come into contact with others or shared surfaces compared to your hands.
• If you are uncontrollably coughing or sneezing, wear a mask to help contain the germs.
• Wipe down surfaces that you’ve touched with disinfectant wipes, such as tables, keyboards, and door handles.

Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Wash your hands before preparing food and after using the restroom, blowing your nose, sneezing, coughing, and before caring for or touching others. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends these steps:

• Wash hands under running water. Turn off the faucet to conserve water.
• Apply soap to your hands and cover all areas, including the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• Rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds.
• Rinse off the soap and germs with clean water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel. Using a dirty towel can undo the entire purpose of washing your hands properly.

Seek medical attention if you experience severe symptoms or complications. If you or your child exhibit any of the following symptoms, consult a doctor:

• Difficulty breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Blue-tinged skin
• Dehydration
• Feeling drowsy or unresponsive
• Excessive crying
• Fever. For babies and young children, seek medical advice even if they have a mild fever below 38°C, or for infants with a temperature lower than normal.
• Fever lasting more than three days
• Fever accompanied by a rash
• Persistent flu symptoms followed by a high fever and severe coughing
• Dehydration
• Abdominal or chest pain
• Stomach or chest tightness
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Excessive vomiting
• Fatigue
• Severe headache or sore throat

• If your child is sick, consult a pediatrician for guidance on how to care for them.
• Always follow your doctor’s instructions when taking medication.
• Consult your doctor before taking any medication or applying home remedies if you are pregnant or caring for a young child.
• If you are already taking medication, consult your doctor before adding any new treatments, even if they are over-the-counter or home remedies, as they might interact with each other.
• If you are in contact with a large group of individuals who may be vulnerable to infections, such as at school or work, it’s even more important to stay home when sick. Vulnerable groups include children, the elderly, those with weakened immune systems, and those with other health conditions.