Our Office, The Life-Size Petri Dish

My office has turned into a Hot Zone. There are multiple sicknesses going around and people are reacting very differently to the same virus. It's totally crazy! I've suggested multiple times to my boss about shutting down the office for a few days but he wouldn't hear it. 

Here's a breakdown of my office and what everyone has:

Patient 1 - Flu and bronchitis

Patient 2 - Flu, pneumonia, and hospital stay

Patient 3 - Flu (Influenza Type B), bronchitis, and pre-pneumonia

Patient 4 - Flu and bronchitis

Patient 5 - Flu (Influenza Type B)

Patient 6 - Flu (Influenza Type B)

Patient 7 (Me) - Flu (Influenza Type B)

Patient 8 - Flu, bronchitis, and laryngitis

Patient 9 - Flu (Influenza Type A and B)

Patient 10 - Nothing

Patient 11 - Nothing

Patient 12 - Nothing

Patient 13 - Nothing

Patient 14 - Nothing

After three of my coworkers tested positive for Influenza B I decided to go get tested even though I only have a runny nose and a mild sore throat. I went to the same clinic as the others and I told the nurses and Dr what was going on at my office. The nurse was not happy with me. She asked me if my coworkers were stupid. I just laughed. It's hard to call in sick when you work in construction and everyone wants to portray themselves as being strong. It's not their fault. One of my coworkers did call in sick but my boss yelled at him and told him to get to work. So yea... we aren't stupid. We are just stuck in a rough position. 

After hearing my situation the Dr decided to get me tested. The nurse came in, pushed a cotton swap up my nose, and then ran the test. 15 minutes later she came back in and told me I was positive for Influenza B. I thought she was joking. She couldn't believe it either. The Dr started me on Tamiflu and told me not to go back to work for another 48 hours. She also asked me to wear a mask when I was in public. 

I ran to the Pharmacy (with my mask on) and got my prescription, soup, and a big bottle of water. 

I went back to the office and old my boss that I was positive for the flu and that my Dr said I should be around people for the next two days. I even had a note from her. He wasn't buying it. He told me that I needed to be at the office the next morning. I wasn't happy about that. Most of my coworkers are "old" and if they get sick this could put them in the hospital. One of them already WAS IN THE HOSPITAL! 

Things like this make me so mad! The flu is not something to joke about. I take things like this seriously and I believe that it is my civic duty to not get people sick, especially after I have been diagnosed. It's hard to do that when no one else (especially the people who pay you) understands how serious it can get.  

I did as I was told and went into the office Friday and Saturday morning. I opened the door, wiped down the door knobs with Clorox wipes, and then went and sat in my truck and waited for everyone to show up. Once my boss showed up I waved and told him I was going home. He nodded and waved. Good enough for me! 

As of right now (Saturday afternoon, April 18th), 9 out of our 14 people are sick. I'm really hoping that this crap moves on and everyone gets better real soon!

[Doing my duty]

[This makes everything better]

While I've been at home I've been watching a lot of TV. The NBA Playoffs are on. My Lakers didn't make it. Not even close. They finished the season at 21-61. It breaks my heart. I will still watch the Playoffs since I am a fan of the game but I have no idea who to root for. Ugh. Well, baseball season just started. Hopefully my Angels will give me a good year.

Side story, last time I was visiting Josh in IL I went shopping for him. He asked for cheese (among other things) so I ran over to Costco. He sent me this picture a few days later asking me if I needed any cheese. He asked for cheese and I gave him cheese! Good thing you can freeze it, right?! Costco is the best!