Prevention Cuts Back on Colds, Illnesses

ATLANTA - The cold and flu season has already begun and if you want proof -- just look around your office.

Workplaces are often the place where seasonal illnesses can spread.

This time of year -- the air is drier, you're inside more -- experts tell us those are prime conditions to spread seasonal illnesses.

That's why they suggest making a special effort to kill the germs that will make you sick.

The cold and flu aisle at the local pharmacy is starting to become a much more busy place as folks try to fight their way through the first round of winter colds and still get on with work.

\"Just in the last week or so, we're seeing a lot more patients coming in with typical cold symptoms, runny nose. I wouldn't say it's a flu outbreak yet, but in some cases body aches, so they're looking to see what they can get their hands on over the counter,\" said pharmacist Ira Katz.

\"We're in close quarters in the winter as we're all sitting in the offices. Just the fact that we're closer, that's cross contamination if you will,\" said registered dietician Carolyn O'Neil.

That's why dietician Carolyn O'Neil suggests some natural remedies to ease colds like Vitamin C and zinc.

Now one of the keys to try and prevent the spread of illness, especially this time of year, begins in in the company washroom.

Doctors recommend regular hand washing to kill some of the germs that could eventually make you and others ill.

Now something else to keep in mind, especially in a busy office environment, is hand sanitizer, and lots of it, especially if you have to share some of the same pieces of equipment.

It can be a good idea to wipe down surfaces like computer keyboards -- which a lot of people might use.

\"You first have to understand the way people catch colds. The first way is by breathing in aerosolized content from people that cough or sneeze around you, the second way is by touching items that are saturated or contain virus. For instance, doorknobs, light switches, elevator buttons,\" said Dr. Neil Winawer of the Emory School of Medicine

Doctors say most of all, if you're the one in the office who's ill -- you don't need to be there.

\"You have to worry about transmitting it to others around you. So if you're sick, you really should stay home, or if you sneeze or have a cough, you should cover it,\" said Winawer.

Another suggestion experts offer is to eat healthy and keep hydrated to ward off illnesses.