Sanil Basutkar
Author
Sinus infection is a common lifestyle disease among urban populations these days. A research done by International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology showed that almost 46.1% Indians suffer from sinusitis problems. The only question here: is sinus infection contagious? The answer is no, sinus infection is not contagious. However, an infected person, if coughs or sneezes in public space, can spread the virus and infect others.
Before determining if a sinus infection is contagious, it’s important to have the basic knowledge of sinusitis.
Sinusitis occurs during inflammation of the air-filled cavities located behind your forehead, nose, and eyes. During a sinus infection, these spaces become blocked and filled with mucus, and viruses or bacteria act on them. The result is a runny nose, with fever and severe headache.
Also read if you should buy a group health insurance or a critical illness rider.
Pollution is a major cause of sinus infection. It slowly weakens the natural immunity and turns into an infection if no action is taken in time.
Common colds or flu are usually associated with sinus infections. Many times sinusitis occurs through a common cold, and slowly transforms into a serious infection.
Seasonal allergies, especially cold allergies also can be a reason. People living in cold regions are exposed to more chances of being infected with sinusitis.
Apart from all of these, one particularly painful symptom is sinus infection ear pain, which occurs when the Eustachian tubes inflate. This tube connects the middle ear to the throat, and gets inflamed during sinusitis.
Also read what is critical illness insurance, its coverage and how to apply for it.
Usually if the infected employee is allowed to work with others, anyone in close contact can get infected. The infection becomes contagious when:
Cubicles usually are built in close spaces, and anyone who has caught a common cold can easily infect others too while sitting there. When you are asking is a sinus infection contagious, remember that close spaces can be a major way to spread the infection.
Usually if the infected employee touches door knobs, door surfaces, chairs with an infected hand, it can quickly contaminate the surface too. This slowly results in the virus spreading through such infected surfaces.
In some cases, a sinusitis is not contagious such as:
If the infection has resulted from bacterial infection, it is typically not contagious in nature. Hence if sinus infection contagious concern relates only to bacterial sinusitis, then the employee is not a threat to other coworkers.
Also read the top employee wellness programs for building a healthy workplace.
HRs don’t always manage the payroll, but they are also tasked to track the employee health status. Because sinus infection severely affects work productivity, taking prompt action is necessary for both the employee and the employer.
Sinus infection can take a toll on productivity. Research shows that employees with chronic rhinosinusitis have been absent for an average of 24.6 workdays. This shows that sinus infection among employees lowers work productivity to a high degree.
Chronic sinusitis usually weakens the immune system. Employees who face it, experience lower energy and immense discomfort to work in a team. Moreover, employees have little incentive to work or attend meetings during this time, as their physical health lowers their morale.
Cases of infections lead to workplace absenteeism, which greatly impacts productivity. This is one of the major reasons that an awareness about sinus infection contagious is required among recruiters and company managers. Employees taking sick leaves on a regular basis can promote the absenteeism culture, which affects the company culture greatly.
HRs can take some proactive steps to protect their workforce health while maintaining productivity, and also not compromise on employee wellbeing.
Purchasing a group medical coverage plan for your employees can be immensely helpful. Many companies are already starting to buy group insurance to cover because of its large number of benefits. Your employees can get coverage for ambulance charges, pre-existing diseases, and also daycare coverage.
Managers can recognize early signs of respiratory illness in employees and offer them additional health perks, such as monthly health checkups. Employees that are often taking leaves, and are persistently sneezing or coughing, can be put on high radar to monitor their health.
Many organizations with a progressive culture offer a hybrid work culture to employees who suffer from chronic diseases. Instead of deducting salary for missing workdays, HRs can implement flexible policies that encourage employees to stay home during the contagious phase.
For employees who must be onsite due to the nature of their work, HRs can also offer quarantined workspace. These workspaces can be private office spaces, or conference rooms with separate ventilation to avoid spread of the contagion. Some offices also offer dedicated restrooms to minimize contact with others.
Develop training modules that explain the difference between contagious viral phases and non-contagious ones. HRs can create online training modules that educate on basic washroom etiquette such as covering during sneezing. Also read the meaning of the cooling off period in health insurance.
Employees suffering from sinus infections lose their appetite, and often face the challenge of low food intake. We have listed some of the best breakfast foods to eat with sinus infection that can provide better nutrition during the infection phase:
There are some limitations on these breakfast foods to eat with sinus infection:
Now we know that the answer to the question “is sinus infection contagious” is no, and it becomes contagious only when the employee sneezes, coughs without proper healthcare precautions. When sinus infections go untreated for weeks, employees run the risk of a contagious infection, as it creates a cycle where employees frequently take sick days. This impacts productivity by a substantial amount, and makes it a critical concern for the entire workforce.
A team that takes too many sick leaves can miss deadlines and lose projects. Why risk it when you can buy complete insurance for your entire team at a nominal price? Call us at 9354963947 to book a free call with our Coverbiz claims support team.
If the infected person sneezes or coughs in an open space, it can be contagious and impact others around them. This is the reason not to be in close contact with the infected person.
Sinusitis weakens the immune system significantly and causes the patient to experience fever and a serious cold. This is why patients affected with sinusitis should stay at home till they recover.
No, sinus infection is curable, and hence there is no strong reason to let go of an employee who is infected. With proper quarantine and having group health insurance, employees can recover from a sinus infection.
While there is no clear distinction between a viral and a bacterial sinus infection, the infection is bacterial if it doesn’t improve after 5-7 days. In case of a viral infection, the maximum time of recovery is 7 days, while for a bacterial infection, it is more than 10 days.
Usually, sinusitis cases last between 5 and 7 days, which is the maximum number of days for quarantine.
Sinus infection is often confused with the common cold, as the symptoms for both are similar. But in case of a sinus infection, symptoms such as swelling and pain around the nose, yellow mucus, and bad breath occur.
Contact us for any queries related to business insurance, coverages, plans and policies. Our insurance experts will assist you.
Before choosing a business health insurance for gig workers, check disability and maternity coverage, CSR ratio and waiting period. Know how to select the best plan in easy steps.
Claim rejection happens due to incorrect details while claim repudiation is when the insurer refuses to process a claim due to suspicion of fraud. Find out how to avoid claim rejection in easy steps.
A moratorium period is the time after which an insurer cannot reject claims due to non-disclosure of pre-existing conditions. Know benefits and how to calculate with accuracy.
Comprehensive liability and asset insurance tailored for businesses of all sizes. One partner, complete coverage.
