should you do homework when sick

How to Study when Sick: Tips for the Freshman Flu

Introduction weeks are over, classes are about to start and the freshman flu lurks in hidden corners. While being sick is a chore, falling ill right at the start of the school year can be a major setback. It's safe to say that runny noses and fever dreams don't help with productivity. But who says that finals can't rhyme with the flu? If you're like me and happen to be both bed and book-ridden here are a couple of tips to get you through your first couple weeks of classes.

Pomodoro it

The Pomodoro method consists of working in 4 sets of 25 min with a 5min break in between each round and a longer break ranging from 15 to 30 min after 4 sets. The division of the Pomodoro into 25/5/15 is completely up to you. Many people customize their Pomodoro timing to best fit their workflow. The most important aspect is that alternation between mid-sized work sessions and short breaks which can keep you focused on the task at hand for longer. What makes the Pomodoro Method perfect for studying when sick is that each task is naturally divided into feasible increments. You can even take 5 min naps during your breaks! Check out the best timers for the Pomodoro method in our article about improving study habits .

Yeah, it's tempting to stay holed up in your room surrounded by textbooks and/or tissues. However, sometimes a breath of fresh air is exactly what you need to get some energy. Just taking a 5 min walk (bonus points if it's during your Pomodoro break) can help clear your head and potentially your sinuses. If you don't feel like going outside, take some time to stretch and relax your muscles. Exercise is a great way to get your blood flowing which will make you feel better.

Drink some water

I'm pretty sure that water is in every listicle out there from dealing with skincare to depression but it's worth the emphasis: don't forget to drink water and stay hydrated! Water helps produce saliva and mucus which are both very handy when fighting a sore throat or a dry nose. Water also helps regulate your body temperature. Our bodies are 60% water so it's needless to say that it plays a vital role in the basic maintenance of our bodies. No matter the pace you've decided to study at you need to stay hydrated in order to maintain said pace and eventually get better.

Proactively study

When you're sick, you don't have the leisure to passively intake information and hope it sticks. Start by dividing all you have to study into small realizable steps and ordering them by priority. This will help you get through the day without feeling overwhelmed. Make flashcards and test yourself on key terms. Instead of repeatedly reading information, by writing it down you engage with the material in a different way. Have a group video call where you explain and present some of the information with your friends. Again, this is another way of engaging with the material: if you can explain a concept well then you probably know it. Don't focus as much on rote memorization as much as contextualized understanding.

Healthy snacks

Studying and being sick are both physically draining activities that when combined tend to have a negative effect on each other. Along with water, food is what will get you through a last-minute cram session without crashing. Why healthy? Though it is tempting to eat your exhaustion and stress away, you do still need to take care of yourself. Food is fuel so you'll need the best kind if you plan to study when sick.

A cozy environment may induce napping but comfort is always worth it. Grab some tea, coffee or hot water, blankets and whatever painkillers you're on to create an environment that's both studious and soothing. Studying when you're sick is hard enough. There's no need to make it worse by sitting at a badly lit desk for 5 hours straight surrounded by empty packets of tissues. Create a space you want to be and study there.

So you've written 5 to-do lists, went boxing, ate some carrots, drank 5L of water, incarnated hygge and you still don't feel okay... what now? Most of the time students are victims of the belief that every occasion is the last. If you're too sick to study and can't make it to class then don't go. There's no point in worsening your physical and mental health for something that definitely won't impact your life as much as you think it will. You can take resits, or ask for an extension or even god forbid take that class again. Nothing is worth ruining your health for, not even the illusion of a college degree.

If it's really bad, don't forget to take advantage of your health insurance and go to a doctor. Don't have Dutch health insurance yet? Check out Swisscare International Student Insurance if you’re a student within the EU/EEA.

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Tips for Staying Caught Up on Homework While Sick

On January 24, 2024, I woke up with a headache and a 99.4 temperature. I did not have a class that day until 11 a.m., so I waited to see if it would go down. Long story short, I had the flu, and missed a week’s worth of assignments. Even as I was sick in bed, watching plenty of movies, what stayed on my mind the most was the homework that I needed to catch up on.

It is important to maintain an up-to-date status on schoolwork, even when sick. When students are ill, their mindset is typically on trying to get better, and justifiably so. However, that results in students having to make up work after they get back, on top of having to do all of the work that is assigned after they make their return. However, through this entire process, there are some things that students can do in order to work through their period of medical misfortune.

• Get in Contact with Your Teachers

Believe it or not, teachers want to do everything they can to help you succeed! Even though different teachers have different policies on late work, if you are sick, they will almost always aid you however they can. In an interview with one of SNU’s faculty members, Melany Kyzer, Ph. D., expressed how even though she does not accept late work, “if a student communicates with me ahead of time, I will work with them.” Even though it is wise to make sure your work is finished in a timely manner, teachers will give grace on assignments as needed, allowing for the best results to be produced.

• Work On What You Can

When I was out with the flu, my condition went up and down, and I certainly had days in which I felt better than others. On those days, I worked on homework. However, it is still important for the body to rest, so do not overwork yourself. I would recommend doing one normal-sized or two smaller assignments on the days in which you feel better in order to make some progress while still allowing yourself some rest.

Speaking of resting, this is the most surefire way to get better. Even though students are stressed about the assignments they may have to do when they get back, the best way to get back is to rest your body and mind. This could take many forms, whether it be watching movies, doing a relaxing activity, or just sleeping your sickness off. Doing this will not only allow you to be at your best when you return to school but also possibly speed up the healing process as well.

It is difficult to be able to complete every assignment that is given out while a student is out for multiple days, or in my case, a full week of class. However, these tips can help to reduce the problem that comes from being sick. It allows students to lighten their load for when they get back while also obtaining some grace from their teachers and letting their bodies heal from whatever sickness afflicts them. Being sick is certainly a pain, but it should not keep students from excelling in the classroom or being the best version of themselves that they can be.

Photo by Kristine Wook on Unsplash

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Tips for Academic Success If You Are Sick

1. An Early Start:

Starting your studies early can be beneficial in two ways: 1) you will have more time to prepare for the exam(s) and 2) you’ll be better able to deal with any pop-up symptoms.

2. Move It to the Bunk:

Admit it, your bed is about ten times more comfortable than that table you always sit at in the UGLI. Studying from the comfort of your home gives you the access to all your meds and the edge to  take a break any time you need to. Sleeping between study sessions helps retain information too!

3. Fuel the H2O Tank:

Replenishing your body with water keeps you alive and more importantly, makes you feel less tired. The recommended dose is 64 ounces per day, which is equivalent to 8 cups of 8 ounces, 16 cups of 4 ounces, 32 cups of 2 ounces… well you get the point. Water also energizes your muscles, keeps your skin looking great, and will kick your sickness faster!

4. Eat, Study, Sleep, Repeat:

Alternating between hitting the books and shutting eyes is the most efficient method for studying while sick; it allows you to be fully immersed in your studies after a good night’s sleep. By minimizing your outside extracurriculars, you can save energy and time, devoting both to helping you recover faster and studying more efficiently.

5. Don’t Get Sick:

This may just be the easiest (or hardest) tip to follow. If you have about $800 to spare, grab yourself a winter coat from Moncler or Canada Goose. Otherwise just befriend someone who owns two (or more). Drink fluids, rest, stay healthy, and GO BLUE!

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to stay healthy, the cold and flu season can knock us on our backs. If you find yourself in a bind this winter, remember that the Dean of Students Office provides support services if you’re experiencing a major interruption, and University Health Services is a great resource too!

Contributed By: Eric Gao

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How to Know if You're Too Sick to Go to Work or School

Last Updated: March 2, 2024 Approved

This article was medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS . Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 90% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 295,548 times.

Having to stay home from work or school can be frustrating or inconvenient, but if you’re dealing with a contagious illness or your health is at risk, it may be best decision. If you or your child have certain symptoms, staying home can not only help you recover, but will also reduce the chance of other people getting sick. Take an assessment of your symptoms and talk to your doctor to help you decide whether or not you should stay home from work or school. While the coronavirus pandemic is active, it’s generally best to stay home if you have any symptoms of illness, even if you don’t feel seriously ill. [1] X Research source

Symptoms of Contagious Illnesses

• Stay at home until your body temperature gets back to a normal range, which is usually around 98 °F (37 °C), and stays there for 24 hours.
• Taking medication to reduce your fever does not make you less contagious.
• A high fever is also likely to be accompanied by periods of sweating and chills.

• Mild coughing frequently occurs due to a cold or allergies. You may also have a stuffy, drippy nose and sneezing. If you feel up to it and no other symptoms are present, you can still go about your daily routine.
• Coughing that feels like it comes from deep within your lungs could be a sign of a serious infection, such as pneumonia.
• Some viral illnesses, like the flu or COVID-19, also feature coughing as a symptom.
• Contact your doctor to see if you should get your cough checked out.
• Cover your mouth when you cough and wash your hands frequently. This will help prevent you from spreading germs and viruses.
• If you have trouble breathing during coughing fits, go to the emergency room to get medical attention.

• Take care of yourself by drinking plenty of liquids. If you can’t keep a glass of water down, you might try sucking on ice cubes to make it easier to keep down.
• If you are unable to keep any liquid down and are at risk of becoming severely dehydrated, you may need to go to an emergency room. Symptoms of dehydration include weakness, headaches, infrequent urination, passing dark or cloudy urine, and crying without tears.

• If the diarrhea is caused by food or medication, then it’s not contagious. In this case, if you are well enough to be able to go about your daily routine, you do not need to stay home unless you will not be able to use the toilet when you need it if you go out.
• It’s important to replenish your liquids by drinking lots of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
• Common symptoms of the coronavirus include a fever, coughing, tiredness, body aches, and loss of taste or smell. Some people also experience other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, or a rash. [6] X Trustworthy Source World Health Organization Health information and news provided by the World Health Organization Go to source
• If you suspect you might have the coronavirus, consider getting tested. Call your doctor’s office to find out how to get the COVID-19 test.
• If you experience severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, or difficulty speaking or moving, get emergency medical care.

Childhood Diseases

• For some illnesses or conditions, such as scabies, lice, and Fifth Disease, it’s safe to send your child back to school after they start treatment. But always consult their doctor first.

• Because the eye may be itchy, children often rub their eyes, and then touch other children or shared toys, causing it to spread.
• Once your child has begun treatment, they may be able to go back to school once your doctor says they are unlikely to be infectious.

• Once your child is receiving treatment under a doctor’s supervision, it should be okay for them to return to school, unless your doctor advises against it.
• The pustules that may form must be covered when your child goes to school.

• Your child may feel well enough to go back to school after being on antibiotics for 24 hours.
• Check with your doctor to see what they recommend.

Prevention and Control

• Washing your hands frequently
• Not hugging or shaking hands
• Avoiding sharing drinks or food with others
• Sneezing or coughing into your elbow instead of your hands
• Using tissues if you have a drippy nose
• Wearing a mask to prevent spreading infectious droplets to others when you cough or sneeze

• Avoid giving hugs. If necessary, you can explain to people that you feel a little unwell and don’t want to infect them. Chances are they will agree that it is best if you stay away.
• Don’t lean into people when talking or looking over their shoulder at a computer screen.
• Wear a face mask to prevent accidentally breathing, coughing, or sneezing on others. [13] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
• Minimize the amount of handshaking you do.

• If you cough or sneeze uncontrollably, wear a face mask.
• Wipe down communal surfaces that you touch, such as tables, desks, computer keyboards, and doorknobs, with disinfectant wipes.

• Washing your hands is the simplest and one of the most effective ways you can prevent the spread of germs, bacteria, and viruses that can make other people sick.
• If you don’t have access to soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer instead. Coat all surfaces of your hands with the hand sanitizer, then rub your hands together until they feel dry (usually 20-30 seconds).

Medical Attention

• Difficulty breathing
• Fast breathing
• A bluish tinge to the skin
• Dehydration
• Unresponsiveness or inability to wake up
• Extreme irritability
• Fever for more than 3 days
• Fever with a rash
• Flu-like symptoms that go away, then come back with a fever and bad cough
• Pain in the abdomen or chest
• Pressure in the abdomen or chest
• Severe vomiting
• Listlessness
• Severe head or throat pain

• Rashes due to allergies are not contagious. If you have the symptoms under control enough that you can think and concentrate, then you can go to work or school.
• For mild rashes, you may be able to go to work or school if the rashes are covered. Check with your school nurse or doctor to be sure.

• An ear infection can make it difficult for your child to concentrate or learn, so let them stay home until they feel better.

• It can take up to a week or more for your child to start feeling better after being treated for hepatitis A, so let them stay home until they’re ready to return to school.

Expert Q&A

• If your child is sick, consult your pediatrician for further guidance. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Follow your doctor's recommendations when taking medications. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Consult with your doctor before taking any medications or home remedies if you are pregnant or when you are treating a child. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• If you are already on other medications, talk to your doctor before adding medications, even over-the-counter medications or home remedies, because they could interact. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• If you come into contact with vulnerable populations at work or school, it is even more important that you stay home when sick. Vulnerable populations include children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or other health problems. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/healthy-living/environmental-health/infectious-disease-prevention-and-control/prevent-spread-infectious-disease
• ↑ https://health.ri.gov/flu/
• ↑ https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/helping-hands/school-and-illness-should-your-child-stay-home
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/too-sick.html
• ↑ https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_3
• ↑ https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/when-to-keep-kids-home-from-school
• ↑ https://www.health.vic.gov.au/infectious-diseases/school-exclusion-table
• ↑ https://www.aafp.org/afp/2016/0701/p24-s1.html
• ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-prevent-infections
• ↑ https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2020/01/how-long-should-you-stay-home-with-a-cold-or-flu.html
• ↑ http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/protect/cdc_cough.pdf
• ↑ https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/good_hygiene.html
• ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/health/is-your-baby-or-toddler-seriously-ill/
• ↑ https://www.texaschildrens.org/sites/default/files/uploads/School%20Rashes.pdf
• ↑ https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/ear-infections-children
• ↑ https://familydoctor.org/condition/hepatitis-a/?adfree=true

About This Article

Medical Disclaimer

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

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If you're not sure if you're too sick to go to work or school, consider whether your illness is contagious. If it is, you'll be doing yourself and everyone else a favor by taking a sick day. Signs that you're contagious include running a fever, vomiting, coughing uncontrollably from deep in your lungs, and diarrhea. One potential exception is if you have a cold, in which case you might feel good enough to go to work or school. In that case, it's important that you take precautions so you don't spread your cold to others, like washing your hands frequently, avoiding physical contact, and not sharing food or drinks. For tips from our Medical co-author, like how to determine if a young child is too sick for school, scroll down. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Getting Through School Days When Sick, Tired or Not Feeling It

Reviewed by Linda Weems I got started researching colleges and universities about 10 years ago while exploring a second career. While my second career ended up being exactly what I’m doing now, and I didn’t end up going to college, I try to put myself in your shoes every step of the way as I build out College Cliffs as a user-friendly resource for prospective students.

Updated: March 25, 2024 , Reading time: 17 minutes

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More than 7 million students missed 15 or more days of school in the US in recent years, even more during the pandemic.

This problem on chronic absenteeism names a few common factors, like the disparity between incomes, lack of resources and means including transportation, and of course, the general problems in relation to poor mental and physical health, as well as safety. Feeling tired of school is completely normal – it happens to everyone!

Like any well-oiled, high-functioning machine, students need regular downtime and maintenance checks to prevent them from breaking down, which could mean a lot of horrible things (canceled plans, unproductive days, and generally, not being able to go out). But what does it actually mean to be sick in school?

Various Health Reasons

Lots of American students can attest that at least once in an academic year (or their whole college lives), they’ve suffered minor ailments including the common cold and fever.

That’s a very typical scenario that would force students to go to class with the worst kind of symptoms (imagine spewing all kinds of germs, sneezing everywhere) or take a raincheck when it comes to entering classes, which is definitely a bummer. (Face it: more often than not, a missed class could mean a whole lot of catching-up.)

When you’re living the dorm life far away from the comforts of home, things could get even more difficult. With no one to take care of you and provide for your needs, you’d wish even more than ever your mom was just beside you, cooking your favorite soup and preparing your medicine.

And when the symptoms come out even worse than they started (i.e. perpetual dizziness, frequent trips to the toilet, generalized weakness, or getting the urge to vomit every single hour), you wouldn’t necessarily be able to think straight and do something immediately to make yourself feel better.

Of Heartbreak, Depression, and Feeling Under the Weather

Aside from apparent physical ailments, college burnout could be one of the most common reasons why students feel under the weather (or feel like skipping class in general).

In 2019, the World Health Organization added burn-out as part of the list of occupational phenomena in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which could also be a very real experience for students.

According to the American Institute of Stress, burnout symptoms “include irritability, fatigue, depression, overwhelm, anxiety and avoiding work or social settings.”

The American Psychological Association reports that, over the past few years, the number of college students with psychological problems has soared. Depression, anxiety, and stress rank as the top mental and emotional health concerns experienced by students, according to counselors.

This is commonly described by students as “feeling drained”, “socially isolated” or generally experiencing an extreme “brain fog” or mental block, keeping them from performing in school at optimal levels. This may be due in part to increasing school requirements, social stress, or the anxiety brought about by changes in their environment.

The factors that trigger disinterest in attending classes and detachment from the idea of finishing college vary from one student to another, and so do their coping mechanisms.

Different strokes, as they say, but it’s important to establish healthy coping habits and delineate them from detrimental activities, such as recreational drugs, smoking, and heavy drinking.  Ultimately, these factors paint a clearer picture of how college requires tremendous effort to get used to.

Additionally, when we enter college, we may encounter different milestones in our lives, including getting to know other people and building romantic relationships. After all, young adults are expected to explore the realm of dating and intimacy until they eventually settle down (or don’t).

When these relationships don’t work out as expected, they may get in the way of our other priorities – perhaps the pain of going through a break-up would come unexpectedly and give you more stress on top of academics and after-school commitments. In any case, that would be one hellish experience that you must prepare for – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Apart from the stresses of school and romantic relationships, there are also students who juggle family responsibilities on top of a full schedule.

Some students work full or part-time jobs and take care of their children while pursuing their degrees because they are the breadwinners in the family, and that kind of living arrangement could lead to bouts of exhaustion and possibly health problems.

Experts suggest these extremely helpful ways to soldier on during those days when you simply can’t get through your college day because of health issues, emotional upheavals, or because you are feeling lethargic and whatnot.

So, how exactly do I cope?

Gradually change your mindset for better outcomes ..

Generally speaking, students find it challenging to complete their degrees. At any given point, students would agree that they generally have too much on their plates.

You might think the likely culprit will be the accessibility to affordable education or anything related to the lack of privilege.

A college experiment, however, revealed that the real culprit is that most college students lack the strategy to study efficiently and encourage productivity.

It is typically human nature to get distracted by a lot of things, and nowadays, it’s definitely easy to be off track with our routines. It is definitely a downward spiral of exchanging guilt and unproductivity, which could decrease your motivation to go to school.

Stanford University’s take on the same is something worth noting, as it underscores metacognition—which refers to ‘thinking how you think about thinking’ within the context of college grades or performance. Goal-setting, cliché as it may sound, will help you to stick to the idea that you need to achieve what you came to college for.

Essentially, as we look inward for our “big why”, we are less likely to waste our time. It’s also less likely that students would think about playing hooky from class, once they put their motivations in order. Self-assessment is the first step to overcoming the struggle that comes with studying.

Another type of assessment under this category is asking yourself lots of questions. This entails being more mindful of every action and continuously figuring out problem areas by evaluating yourself and asking about the purpose of every action. Whether you justify your answers or keep on explaining your answers, this process will help you grasp a better understanding of the situation.

Pull yourself together and show up in class .

While skipping class because of a boring teacher or general lack of interest may sound reasonable for college students, missing class more than twice in a semester spells disaster for you. The old adage says “80% in life is showing up,” so go ahead and be present in class.

Once you are able to do this, you will feel a surge of fulfillment because you were able to get through the slump – now, your next ordeal would be to figure out a way to keep yourself engaged in class.

If you’re a part-time student attending an evening or hybrid class, you may be tempted to skip the actual class and watch it online instead. While this may be a case-to-case basis, attending an actual class may give you a new perspective about tackling a certain topic, application, or examples.

On actual classes, your professors will get you ‘engaged’ by asking questions or discuss and idea and help you understand the topic further. It would also be easier to study using the online class platform or textbook later on.

Additionally, if you’re physically sick but need to go to class because of important activities, make an effort to keep yourself presentable and comfortable.

Take a warm shower to get rid of bacteria (also to soften your secretions and clear nasal passages), dress lightly and comfortably, and make sure to keep yourself hydrated all throughout the day. If needed, wear a mask to protect yourself and your colleagues – this is also considered a common courtesy.

As you arrive in class, make sure to inform your professor that you’re feeling sick so that they won’t worry if you suddenly sneeze or need to go to the comfort room in the middle of the lesson.

Try to sit at the back of the class to avoid disturbing the whole class with your symptoms – this set-up would also allow you to sneeze and cough easily without feeling too self-conscious.

Get enough rest .

In college, you must learn the art of juggling, but balancing school, work (for adult learners), relationships, and goals can take a toll on your life. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the recommended amount of sleep for adults is 7 hours or more per night.

However, in the US most adults are getting sleep-deprived – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep, which is definitely critical for optimal health outcomes.

Sleep deprivation is also a typical ordeal for most college students because of the academic and extracurricular requirements that they must accomplish. But sleep deprivation can lead to a number of health problems, including mental health problems , weight gain , and decreased alertness.

The way to avoid this is to create a ‘calm’ space in your room. Play relaxing music before going to bed, avoid social media beyond the wee hours of the morning, try to stay away from additional cups of coffee after 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and replace energy drinks with healthier snacks and drinks that can help you sleep better at night.

The bottom line is that practicing good sleep hygiene practices will save you from a lot of future troubles. You can also pack up on healthy snacks and meals, such as nuts, salads, and light sandwiches, during downtimes to avoid having to eat out.

When you’re already sick, it’s best to avoid pushing your physical limits too much – during breaks in between classes, try to hang out at lowkey spaces (i.e. library, lounges, or anywhere that’s well-ventilated with fewer crowds). If your dorm room is nearby, you can also spend your break there and rest better.

Don’t interact with too many people, and keep your head down a bit – we know that misery loves company, but you need to contain that nasty ailment, so avoid passing it on to someone else by distancing yourself a bit.

Prepare your arsenal and stock up on the essentials .

If you feel a cold or cough coming down, it’s best to stock up on OTCs (over-the-counter medications) and multivitamins (containing Vitamin C and Zinc) before it turns into a full-blown sniffle fest. If you prepare ahead of time, you will thank yourself later on, as there will come a time when you will be too weak to go out for your essentials.

Try to visit the nearest CVS, Target, or your local campus store for fever medicines, throat lozenges, pain relievers, cough medicines, antidiarrheals, and/or nasal decongestants. Better yet, create your own medicine kit, as this would save you from future inconveniences. You can also create a separate kit in your school bag, just in case.

Don’t forget hygiene essentials as well, such as hand sanitizers, wipes, and tissues. You can also add soothing/relieving agents, like tea and honey, which can be good for respiratory symptoms. If you’re suffering from stomach discomforts and diarrhea, you can add electrolyte drinks (such as Gatorade) and plain crackers to relieve cramping episodes.

Additionally, when you take medications for your symptoms, always stick to the recommended dosage. If you have a prescription, pay attention to the indicated time and amount of medicine that you’re allowed to take within a certain period of time, and don’t try to crank up the dose without consulting your doctor or pharmacist. You wouldn’t want to overdose, so medicate responsibly!

Drink lots and lots of fluids – stay hydrated!

Remember when you got sick and felt so much better after your mom made you some warm soup? When you’re sick, it’s best to load up on fluids. Being dehydrated will worsen any respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms; that’s why you should do your best to drink regularly. You can drink fluids rich in electrolytes or eat fruits with high water content.

Additionally, when you feel your skin and mucous membranes drying up, you may want to apply moisturizer or some lip balm for added protection. You can also invest in a humidifier or air purifier, which can significantly make the air quality in your room better. This will assist you while you recover from a bad case of flu or cough.

Visit your Campus Health Center .

If you’ve been sick for over two days, it might be best to visit your campus health center or school clinic. Have a professional check your condition; you paid for this service after all! University medical staff are some of the most approachable and helpful people in school. And yes, always get your flu shots yearly, as this would significantly decrease the chances of you getting sick within the year.

Depending on your condition, your university physician can help you get better by prescribing appropriate treatment, or they may suggest that you visit an urgent care facility to assist you better.

Please don’t take this kind of medical advice for granted, and get yourself checked! If you need to visit the ED, inform one of your classmates and your professors that you’re sick and will be out for consultation.

When sick, stay at home.

Of course, there are days when we suffer from ailments that actually force us to take the day off. When we feel a big one coming up, it’s best to just throw in the towel and rest at home.

This kind of advice may seem counter-intuitive, but there’s a specific reason why – when you’re sick, you should maximize the period of time that you spend resting and recovering, as this would impact the amount of time it takes for you to recover.

Additionally, if you’re suffering from a contagious condition, staying at home would decrease the risk of you passing it on to your classmates. Causing an outbreak won’t be fun for anyone!

Give your professors a heads-up if your doctor tells you to take a few days off school and make an effort to compensate for your absences.

Show your interest in catching up when you miss school for several days at a time. Ask your professors what they require from you, such as hospital paperwork or a note from the campus health center, to prove that you indeed needed to take those days off.

Eat well, eat healthily .

If you live in a dorm, you may be a frequent customer of your school’s dining hall. More often than not, school canteens serve easy-to-prepare food such as pizzas, burgers, fries, and other tasty options that may not be too conducive for recovering.

If you can, try to ask about healthier options that they can serve – some cafeterias offer healthy breakfast food like salads, yogurt, cereals, and oatmeal, which are rich in nutrients and could help you feel more satiated.

If this option is not available, you can buy food ahead of time at your local grocery. Try to lean in on “recovery food” such as citrus fruits, vegetables, soups, and lean meats.

Fight the boredom .

In college, life can go on “in circles” and get boring. For energetic individuals, the monotony can be too much! And it’s easy to lose interest with those urgent assignments and projects piling up – some college kids even feel paralyzed at some point when they feel helpless with their workload. You can, however, change a few things to keep things interesting.

For many, finding a new place to do schoolwork (other than the lackluster dorm or boring bedroom) does wonders for their outlook, focus, and productivity. If your dormitory permits it, you can study in different areas of the building where you don’t usually hang out. The novelty of this idea will kickstart your motivation in no time!

You can try working in the school library to foster a change of space or spend your weekends at a coffee shop where you can loosen up and destress. If you’re used to studying alone, why don’t you try studying in a group on some days? Perhaps this will help bring variety and a change of pace to your routine, so don’t be afraid to try it!

Scheduling a fun activity also does the trick. Achieving a perfect work-life balance should be one of the skills that you should master while you’re in college. Working hard and improving your academics should not mean living in a monastery – it doesn’t have to be dull!

Check out fun events nearby, socialize, and get out of your comfort zone. If you have hobbies that you used to get into when you were in high school, rediscover them – they may pay off in the end!

Try to find your crowd composed of people who could pull you up and bring out your best qualities. A solid support group within the school is an important part of college life, so try to open up yourself to others!

Get a mental break .

College life introduces you to stress levels you never thought you would. Exploring a museum or an art exhibit at a relaxed pace, whether within or without your school, is considered a “healing” activity that improves your mood and ability to focus overall. 

This activity, according to experts, keeps your brain from “overheating” while enabling you to appreciate art and encouraging learning.

There are lots of ways to get that much-needed mental break: there are apps such as Headspace and Calm that can help you practice mindfulness and shut out all the noise in your life. If you want to reap some physical benefits as well, you can try yoga and pilates to boost your mental health and core strength.

Another tip is to get in touch with your high school friends or see your family and loved ones every weekend if you must. Reconnecting with the people who are dear to you gives you that surge of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin, which are neurochemicals connected to happiness and an overall sense of well-being.

School breaks should give you that chance to hang out with people whom you shared fun and memorable times with.

Make plans, but go easy on them .

If you happen to be working and studying at the same time, see how one affects the other. You can definitely earn your degree while being employed, but if work interferes with a heavy school load–and vice versa—reconsider. Strike a healthy balance that doesn’t compromise either. Additionally, be more realistic about your plans for the future and cut out distractions where applicable.

Most students worry about their future careers—and the uncertainty they deal with can be quite upsetting. Try to remember that in order for you to survive this phase in your life, you must prepare to ride with the waves and learn to enjoy life as it unfolds.

When you’re too uptight with all your responsibilities and personal expectations, it can all blow up in your face and drive you to levels of frustration.

When in doubt, get help from your school’s career resource center and be open to exploring career options while you are in college. Don’t go into overdrive just yet; this is just the beginning!

College can be downright daunting. Do what you must to keep yourself focused and motivated…but remember to keep your sanity while at it!

Additional Information :

• 10 Habits For Your Mental Health In College
• Energizing Tips to Keep You Awake Studying for Exams

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Getting Sick in College

From extensions to prescriptions, here's how to handle it

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• M.Ed., Higher Education Administration, Harvard University
• B.A., English and Comparative Literary Studies, Occidental College

Being sick in college is not the most pleasant of experiences. You likely have no one taking care of you, like you would at home, while at the same time your responsibilities and obligations continue to pile up as you're stuck in bed. So just what are your options if you get sick in college?

Let Your Professors Know

If you are a student in a small class, have a big day in class (meaning you have a paper due or presentation to give), or have any other responsibilities where your absence will be both noted and problematic. A quick email letting your professor know you're sick while promising to follow-up with them about how to make up the assignment (including a gracious request for an extension ), should only take a few minutes to write but will save you quite a bit of time later.

Take Care of Yourself

True, you have that midterm to take, a huge event your cultural club is planning, and the concert you and your roommate have had tickets for months. It may be frustrating, but you need to take care of yourself first and foremost. The last thing you need, after all, is to just get even sicker just because you didn't take care of yourself. It may seem impossible at first, but there really are ways to get more sleep in college. Let yourself sleep!

Healthy eating in college can be a challenge—but it also can be accomplished. Think of what your mother would want you to eat: fruits and veggies, things with nutrition, healthy liquids. Translation: no, a donut and a Diet Coke won't work for breakfast, especially when you're sick. Grab a banana, slice of toast, and orange juice instead.

Sometimes, common over-the-counter medications like aspirin and DayQuil can make a bad cold or flu manageable. Don't be afraid to ask a friend or roommate to grab you something while they're out and about!

Get a Check-up at the Campus Health Center

If you're sick for more than a day or two, have really bad symptoms, or otherwise just don't feel right, utilize what your campus has to offer. Make an appointment—or just walk in—to the campus health center. They can check you out while also offering advice and medication to get you back on your feet.

Keep Checking in With Your Professors

If you're missing a day of lecture in your chemistry class, you can usually grab notes from a friend or get them online. But if you're missing a few days, especially when there's intense material being covered or discussed, let your professor know what's going on. Tell your professor that you're really sick and that you might need a little help catching up. It's much, much easier to be in touch early on than try to explain later why you haven't been to class, haven't been in touch, and haven't turned in your assignments.

Prioritize Your To-do List

If you're sick for more than a day or two, you will likely fall behind on at least something— life in college moves very, very quickly. Take a few moments to write down a little list of what you have to do and then prioritize. Getting to the health center for a Strep Throat test? Priority! Updating Facebook with pictures from last weekend's Halloween party? Not a priority. Take care of the most important things now so you can do the other things you want and need to do later.

Major Illness or Extended Sick Time

If your sick day or two turns into a major illness or you're sick for long enough that your academics suffer, you might need to take more drastic measures.

Always Let Your Professors Know What's Going On

Even if you just shoot them a quick email letting them know that you've been really sick for a week and are trying to figure out what's going on, that email is much better than complete silence. Ask them what they need from you, if anything, to justify this much-missed class (a note from the health center? copies of your hospital paperwork?). Additionally, check your syllabi or ask your professors directly about what their policy is if you've missed something major, like a midterm or paper deadline.

Check in With Your Campus Health Center

If you're sick for more than a day or two, definitely go see the campus health center. On top of a check-up, they can verify with your professors that, indeed, you do have a nasty case of the flu and need to be out of class for another day or so.

Keep the Faculty up to Date

Check in with your academic adviser, an academic support office, the dean of students ' office, and/or the dean of faculty office. If you're missing a lot of class, are sick, and your academics are suffering, you'll need some help from the campus administration. Don't worry, though: this doesn't mean you've done anything wrong. It just means you've been sick! And everyone from your adviser to the dean of faculty has dealt with sick students before. Life happens in college; people get sick. Just be smart about it and let the appropriate people know so that, as you begin to recover, you can have the support you need academically instead of having to stress  about your situation.

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Should You Work From Home or Take a Real Sick Day?

If your only options when you’re sick are going into the office or calling off, then obviously if you’re contagious, you should call off. But now that so many of us have the option of working from home when we can’t make it to the office, the decision becomes a little trickier.

This also applies to people who work remotely all the time. Speaking as one of them, I sometimes have a hard time telling whether it’s really OK to take a day off, or if I should prop myself up at my computer and put in something resembling a workday. This is mostly my own anxiety, though. It should go without saying that if you’re sick, you deserve to rest. So here are some questions to ask yourself if you’re on the fence.

Do you have a fever?

There are plenty of symptoms that won’t necessarily interfere with work, like having a mildly runny nose (just keep some tissues handy). But a fever is one pretty good place to draw the line.

When you have a fever, your body will want you to bundle up and lie in bed. You’re not going to be able to get much work done that way. Even if your fever is off-and-on, chances are, it will return before the workday is over and you’re not going to be at your sharpest in the meantime. Go back to bed.

Are your symptoms above or below the neck?

This is an old runners’ saw, but I think it applies here too. Runners say it’s fine to exercise if your symptoms are only above the neck (sniffly nose, congestion) but to stay home if any symptoms extend below the neck (phlegmy lungs, fever, muscle aches, overall fatigue).

You don’t have to follow that exact dividing line, but you get the idea. Just as a fever signals your body needs time to rest, so do symptoms like fatigue and vomiting.

Will you actually be productive?

Let’s ask a different kind of question: If you decide to work, what will your workday actually be like? If you’ll be sitting at your desk, feeling basically fine, but occasionally reaching for the tissues—yeah, that sounds like a reasonable work-from-home day.

On the other hand, if you’ll be struggling to have a coherent thought, fighting sleep, constantly running to the bathroom, or coughing uncontrollably all day—sitting at a desk for eight hours isn’t exactly going to be good for you or your employer. Save everyone the trouble by letting them know you aren’t going to be available.

How will you spend the day if you call off?

I’m putting this question last because it’s likely to spark the most anxiety. If you have a cold, is it OK to do something enjoyable like watching TV? If you can physically make it to the drugstore to buy some cough medicine, does that mean you should have been working instead?

I hope these questions sound silly, because they are. If you need to rest, rest . Yes, you may watch TV and read books while you rest. Ideally you’ll have somebody around to go buy you medicine and make you soup, but if not, there’s nothing hypocritical about using your small amount of available energy for a grocery run. (Do wear a mask, though, to avoid spreading your germs.)

A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself where you’ll be working. If you can only envision working if you get to bring your laptop into bed with you, you should stay in bed and leave the laptop out of it.

On the other hand, if your thought is, “I’ll spend all day working on that novel I’m writing” or “time to get some yard work done,” you’re not looking at an actual sick day—but perhaps you need a mental break due to burnout. That’s fine and good, but it’s an entirely different set of questions to ask yourself.

How Bad Is It Really to Work From Home When You're Sick?

How Bad Is It Really? sets the record straight on all the habits and behaviors you’ve heard might be unhealthy.

Working remotely has its perks: You can avoid a crappy commute, wear pajama pants during meetings and sneak in a workout during your lunch hour. But when the line between your home and the office becomes blurred, there are also some possible downsides too.

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Perhaps the most damaging drawback: Many people with remote jobs feel the pressure to perform around the clock, even if they aren't feeling well.

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In fact, 66 percent of Americans who work from home report that their bosses would disapprove of taking a sick day for any ailment less serious than COVID-19, according to a 2020 poll commissioned by ColdCalm , a cold medicine company.

And this stress to impress employers has clearly affected employees' decisions when it comes to sick days. The same survey also found that 67 percent of respondents were less likely to skip a day of work when sick, while seven in 10 have already pushed themselves to power through the workday when ill.

But what are the repercussions of toughing out a terrible cold or fighting the flu while working remotely?

Here, medical experts explore how working from home when you're sick can sabotage your health (now and in the future) ‌ and ‌ prevent you from being productive on the job too.

4 Risks of Working From Home When You're Sick

1. it doesn’t allow you the rest you need to recover.

"When our bodies are sick, they are spending a lot of energy fighting off the infection and trying to recover," says Laura Purdy, MD, MBA , a board-certified family medicine physician.

But if you choose to work from home, you deprive your body of the rest it needs to repair, Dr. Purdy says.

Indeed, sleep is a pivotal part of the healing process. Here's why: When you snooze, your immune system produces protective proteins called cytokines (which help fight infection and inflammation) as well as antibodies, according to the Mayo Clinic .

So if you're skimping on essential slumber to slog through a meeting, you're essentially decreasing your immune system's defenses and possibly extending the length of your illness.

2. It Can Be Stressful

"If you're trying to keep up with your workload, but you're not as clear thinking or energetic as usual," the normal demands of your daily routine can feel especially stressful, Dr. Purdy says.

And adding more stress to the mix — which can cause inflammation in the body — is not ideal when you have an impaired immune system that's already struggling to fend off an infection.

Put another way: Pushing yourself when you're ill can disrupt your bioenergetic state and place your body in a stress state, says Kien Vuu, MD , host of ‌ The Thrive State Podcast. ‌

If you're too stressed, your cells won't function optimally, and your immune system will be less able to counteract a foreign invader such as a virus or bacteria, Dr. Vuu says.

3. You Won’t Perform at Your Best

Real talk: No one does their best work when they're under the weather.

"When you're sick, especially, if you have a severe illness, it can be hard to concentrate and focus on the task at hand," Dr. Purdy says. Not only will your productivity likely decline but the quality of your work will take a hit too, she says.

Dr. Vuu agrees: Powering though the workday if you feel poorly can prevent peak performance. "There's a point in time when there are diminishing returns," he says. When you're feeling frail and fatigued, you can't cognitively perform at your best or activate your flow state. And this is when you tend to make mistakes, he adds.

Case in point: more than half of people reported their work performance suffered "considerably" when they worked from home while sick, according to the same ColdCalm poll.

4. You Can Burn Out in the Long Run

When you work remotely, there's often no clear distinction between your office space and your home. And this can make it hard to maintain a healthy work-life balance, especially for high performers and overachievers, Dr. Purdy says.

Which is why it can be all too tempting for people to tough it out from home even when they feel terrible. But making this a habit can be harmful.

"Over time, if there are poor boundaries and little separation between your work life and home life, it can lead to burnout and disengagement," Dr. Purdy says. And this ultimately results in decreased quality of output, she adds.

Dr. Vuu agrees that a good balance is necessary not only for better productivity in the long term but also to optimize health and achieve a thrive state.

When our body is in homeostasis, our cells are functioning at their best and can more effectively manage outside threats such as viruses or bacteria, he says.

But if you have a mentality like, ‌ I'll sleep when this project is over ‌ or ‌ I'll just relax on my annual vacation ‌, you're overstressing your body, which won't have the right amount of energy for health and healing.

And not allowing your body to recover and repair when you're run-down can increase your risk of feeling sick in the future.

That's what a June 2009 study in the ‌ Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health ‌ concluded. People who repeatedly went to work ill (more than six times in a year) had a 74 percent greater chance of having a long-term absence (for two months or more) due to sickness down the road.

In the long run, pushing your body like this can lead to chronic inflammation and disease, Dr. Vuu says.

It's true. Research demonstrates that chronic inflammation can contribute to the development of serious illness such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and bowel diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, according to Harvard Health Publishing .

What's more, this type of burnout not only affects you physically but also mentally. A June 2014 study in the ‌ Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine ‌ found that working while sick may significantly increase your risk for depression.

7 Tips for Better Sleep When You’re Sick

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Staying Healthy When You’re Feeling Under the Weather

The Best and Worst Foods to Eat When You're Sick

Signs you’re too sick to work from home.

"If you listen to your body, you will know whether it is safe or healthy for you to try to work through an illness," Dr. Purdy says.

In other words, don't ignore your body's signals, which can help you know when it's time to call it quits and take a proper sick day.

"I would definitely recommend avoiding work if you are severely sleep deprived, or have a very high fever, extreme fatigue, nausea or vomiting," Dr. Purdy says.

Similarly, severe body aches, lack of appetite and hounding headaches may also indicate that it's time to close shop and shut down your computer, Dr. Vuu says.

In these cases, focus on getting plenty of rest, hydrating frequently with fluids and, if possible, eating nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods, he says.

Is It Ever OK to Work From Home When You’re Sick?

"This is something that every person must decide for themselves," Dr. Purdy says. "Sometimes I still work from home if I am slightly under the weather, but only if I am feeling up to it. If I have a fever, I am so sick that I slept poorly the night before or I am really struggling, I will take the day off."

Dr. Vuu agrees that the decision also depends on how ill you are. For example, if your symptoms are mild — say, you have a runny nose but otherwise you still have an appetite, and your energy is good — you could still do most of your work from home, he says.

The type of work you do — how physically, mentally or emotionally demanding it is — should also factor into your decision, he says. Again, you want to avoid adding more stress to your life when you're sick.

"Another alternative is to designate yourself as 'out of office' but work on some projects individually if you feel that you have the energy to do so," Dr. Purdy adds. This way, you can work at your own pace and stop whenever you're feeling too unwell.

So, How Bad Is It Really to Work From Home When You’re Sick?

If you have a mild case of the sniffles, you're probably in the clear to continue working from home. But forcing yourself to perform when you're unfit to work is futile both for your productivity and your health.

By giving yourself the time you need to rest when you're sick, you'll have a speedier recovery and, ultimately, it will allow you to have better output at work, Dr. Purdy says.

Dr. Vuu agrees we should put more focus on recovery and taking care of ourselves. This will enable you to show up and do your best at work and at home with your family and relationships, he says.

The bottom line: "There's no shame in taking a day off for illness," Dr. Purdy says.

How Bad Is It Really to Swallow Pills Without Water?

How Bad Is It Really to Hold in a Sneeze?

How Bad Is It Really to Use Hand Sanitizer All the Time?

• Mayo Clinic: “Lack of sleep: Can it make you sick?”
• Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health: “Sick at Work — A Risk Factor for Long-Term Sickness Absence at Later Date”
• Harvard Health Publishing: “Understanding acute and chronic inflammation”
• Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine: “Is sickness presenteeism a risk factor for depression? A Danish 2-year follow-up study”

Is this an emergency? If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911.

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Should You Work From Home While Sick?

For many people, working from home while they are sick is a convenient option, as long as their employer allows it. Working from home may not be the best choice for someone under the weather, but that depends on how sick you are and whether you can get anything done at home.

For example, if you have a cold and you don’t want anyone at work to get it, you should probably stay home. During the flu season, that becomes much more important. Avoiding work while fighting influenza can keep the whole office healthy .

But, what if you have some other illness?

Many will wake up with a sore throat, jump in the shower, take a throat lozenge, and head for work . This may not be the best way to go, since a sore throat is often an early sign of a cold, and as we all know, colds are very contagious.

A study from the Canada Life Group Insurance Company looked further into this occurrence. They found that nearly 90% of employees have come into work while sick.

Bosses will always worry about the employees who call in sick despite being healthy. But, a larger number of bosses are more worried about people showing up to work who are sick and contagious.

With the “always at work” mentality, people who work from home still stay in touch with their projects and fellow workers. This might be a counter-productive situation when you’re sick and need to work at home with some peace and quiet.

It’s no secret that many offices encourage the “always on” mentality. This means employees will find it difficult to ask for time off when they are sick, and are often encouraged to work from home instead.

If you are one of those who grapples with the idea of whether you should take time off when you are sick, it’s important to come up with a contingency plan to help you decide. You should stop and think about the long-term effects of your decision.

If you decide to go to work while you are sick, you should at least think of a place at work where you can isolate yourself from others. Although, if you decide to work from home, think about what you might be missing by staying away from work.

With the cold season ahead, workers are coming down with fevers, headaches, and runny noses. The CDC reported that your chances of getting sick this year fall between 5% and 20%, which is relatively high.

And after falling ill, employees are left with that debate: stay home or go to the office. The problem with staying home is that it might cause more stress due to the amount of work you lose. When you return to work, you could be faced with a pile of paperwork and past due projects.

But, why do people go to work when they are sick?

If you are one of the lucky people who has plenty of sick time saved up, you don’t have to worry about calling in sick without jeopardizing your job.

But, this often isn’t the case.

A 2014 survey by the National Survey Foundation (NSF) concluded that 4 out of 10 Americans say they come to work sick simply because they don’t have much choice. Approximately 10% of those surveyed said they go to work sick.

As a rule, it’s always best to stay home when you are sick. So, the next time you wake up with a headache, runny nose, and a cough, stay home.

Are you looking to keep your office healthy this flu season? Passport Health can help! Give us a call at or fill out a contact form for more information.

Written for Passport Health by Jerry Olsen. He has over 15 years of combined experience as a writer and editor in Salt Lake City. Jerry’s writing topics range from health care, travel, life science to medical technology and technical writing.

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Should you do your homework if you are sick?

It depends on how sick you are. Eg. 1) If you are dying of severe cancer , homework should be the last thing on your mind 2) If have a household common cold , you should be fairly able to do a little homework. Anything that actually stops you from using a pen and pencil could be considered.

You should try it at least. Unless you've got the flu or something really serious, it's not going to stop you from doing some of the work.

Add your answer:

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This ice age is over.

Experts are urging air travelers to avoid adding ice cubes to their drinks while on a plane, saying you could contract nasty germs by doing so.

“Don’t get ice in your drink,” warned a flight attendant in a Reddit thread , detailing unsavory industry secrets. “The ice is put in a tray with a scoop, and the trays don’t get cleaned very often.”

“Every surface on the plane is touched by hundreds of people daily and not often disinfected,” the attendant continued. “We don’t have the opportunity to wash our hands at all during the beverage service.”

Meanwhile, airplane cleaners have corroborated this dirty little secret.

“Some flight attendants get upset because it’s not clean,” Verna Montalvo, a cabin cleaner at Dallas-Fort Worth airport, told The Washington Pos t in 2022. “Of course, it’s not clean — because this is how much [time] they give us.”

She claimed that her crew only has five minutes to clean and has even had to tidy an aircraft by herself due to labor shortages.

Even if the ice tray is clean, the ice cubes inside it may not be. Airline ice, which is procured from third-party sources , is likely of dubious quality — because all ice is.

As part of a 2017 study, researchers sampled 60 ice cubes from both domestic and industrial facilities, finding that they harbored more than 50 different bacteria strains, per Travel + Leisure.

“A consistent percentage of the microorganisms identified from ice are known agents of human infections, and their presence indicates an environmental contamination,” researchers wrote.

If travelers must have ice in their drink, experts advise ordering soda or alcohol to mitigate the number of microbes.

According to a 2019 study  by the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center at the City University of New York, there is a “consistent reduction of bacterial risk due to alcohol, CO2, pH and antibacterial ingredients of vodka, whisky, Martini, peach tea, tonic water, and Coke.”

However, researchers agree that the best way to remain safe is by bringing one’s own bottled water.

That same study found that drinking water on 11 major and 12 regional airlines is possibly unsafe for human consumption.

“My takeaway from doing the research was to not drink the coffee and the tea” said Charles Platkin, study author and the executive director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center.

Taken a sick day? Here's how to tell if you're well enough to return to work or school

You've already taken a sick day to recover from a cold and you're feeling a bit better, but still not 100 per cent. 

So do you go back to work or take another day off?

Here's how to work out what's best for you. 

How long does it take to recover from a cold?

"Most people recover from a cold within seven to 10 days without any treatment, says Todd Miller, the acting chief medical officer for government-funded health website Healthdirect Australia.

But recovery times vary — not just depending on the virus, but depending on the individual.

"Medical conditions and other lifestyle factors can have a significant impact on your immune system and, therefore, recovery times," Dr Miller says. 

How long should you be off sick with a cold?

That's hard to say because everyone's different. 

But it could be a few days , says Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious diseases doctor and senior staff specialist at Canberra Hospital.

"If you are sick with the flu, RSV or COVID, those first few days when you have symptoms are when you should be staying at home," Dr Senanayake says.

But you could still be shedding the virus after three to five days , meaning you could infect your colleagues. 

When should you go back to work or school?

Dr Miller says people should consider going back to work or school when they feel well or " when their acute symptoms are gone ". 

Acute symptoms to look out for include:

• sore throat

"Additionally, because several viruses can cause a cold-like illness, it's possible to have several colds one after the other because a different virus causes each one," Dr Miller says. 

What if you're feeling 'mostly' better?

"If someone is feeling mostly better, but isn't sure if they're still contagious, they may consider wearing a mask and maintaining physical distancing wherever possible," Dr Miller says.  

"You should also practise good hand hygiene . 

"If you're able to work from home , you should do so. 

"It is possible that you may remain infectious despite no longer displaying symptoms and it is also likely that you were infectious prior to displaying symptoms."

Dr Senanayake says since the pandemic, most people are used to seeing face masks. 

"If you're past those first few days and now your symptoms are resolved … then maybe for a couple of days wear a mask and say you've had a viral infection," he says. 

Let's say you're not coughing but you've still got a headache and are feeling a bit "meh".

You might think that technically you can still work, but Dr Senanayake points out that you still have a headache and are feeling lousy. 

"If you're sick, you're sick," he says.

Can going back too early make it worse?

"Returning to work or school too early can prolong the symptoms of colds, flu and similar respiratory viruses as it may impact your ability to rest and maintain hydration," Dr Miller says. 

"Additionally, exposure to stress — both physical and mental — can have a negative impact on your immune system."

Am I entitled to paid sick leave?

All employees are entitled to sick leave, except for people employed as casuals, the Fair Work Ombudsman's website says . 

How many paid sick days do you get each year?

Full-time employees are entitled to 10 days of paid sick leave a year. 

It's pro-rata for part-time employees, meaning it depends on how many hours they work.

"This can be calculated as 1/26 of an employee's ordinary hours of work in a year ," the ombudsman's website says.

However, sick leave accumulates over the years, so whatever sick days you don't use in one year carry over to the next year. 

And the ombudsman says employees can take as much sick leave as they've accumulated. As long as they've banked up the leave, there's no limit to how much they can take at one time . 

How many days can you take off before needing a medical certificate?

That depends on your workplace. 

The ombudsman's website says employees can be asked to provide evidence "for as little as one day or less off work".

"An employee who doesn't give their employer evidence when asked may not be entitled to be paid for their sick or carer's leave," the ombudsman says. 

It's a good idea to look at the terms of your employment award or agreement for details about this. 

However, the ombudsman says the type of evidence requested "must always be reasonable in the circumstances". 

What kind of evidence do you need to provide to take sick leave?

There are no strict rules on that. 

The ombudsman says it just has to be to " convince a reasonable person that the employee was genuinely entitled to the sick or carer's leave".

Usually, it's a medical certificate, which you can get from a doctor and some pharmacies. 

But a statutory declaration can also be an acceptable form of evidence. 

People with MyGov accounts can submit a Digital Commonwealth statutory declaration without needing a physical witness. 

• X (formerly Twitter)

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My bags were packed, then I got COVID. What should I do? Travel options to weigh.

I just tested positive for COVID-19. Should I travel anyway?

Variations of that question are spiking on Google Search ( as we experience a significant surge in both summer travel and new coronavirus cases.

If you travel for work or pleasure and haven’t yet dealt with the question of whether to fly with COVID-19, chances are at some point you will. 

President Joe Biden just tested positive while campaigning in Las Vegas. Several Tour de France riders are also dealing with the latest bout of COVID-19. And I picked it up earlier this month during a recent cross-country trip, testing positive just two days before I was supposed to fly to Alaska to help my parents − ages 79 and 85 − move out of their recently sold family home. 

Ethically, I didn’t feel right about getting on a plane knowing I had COVID-19 and certainly couldn’t show up to my parent's house with the virus. But the last-second scramble to rebook the trip, with our dog, my husband, and my parents still needing my help, was super-stressful. 

Should I fly if I just tested positive for COVID? 

Technically, you can fly sick − no one is going to stop you at the gate and swab your nose − but you shouldn’t. 

Just because the airlines no longer require you to show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test ahead of your international flight, as they sometimes did during the earlier years of the pandemic, doesn’t mean travel should be a germ free-for-all. 

“I suggest that you not fly,” Vicki Sowards, director of nursing resources at Passport Health, wrote via email. “You can expose the other travelers on your flight, and the process of traveling can contribute to fatigue and an increase in symptoms.”

If you know you have COVID-19, or think you might, you should not get on a plane, according to health experts, the CDC , and everyone who weighed in on my social media pages this past week. 

“Should you travel if you have COVID? Absolutely not. Other people are immunocompromised, so essentially, you could kill innocent people,” says 56-year-old Nick Longo from Corpus Christi, Texas. Longo travels outside America “at least once a year” and flies within the U.S. frequently. “Do I think a lot of people are flying with it right now? Yes. People who don't care about others are (flying).That's why it spread.” 

Mike Hensley, 54, of Northern California, agrees.

“It's a simple answer,'' he wrote. "No. You should not travel. That's how viruses spread quickly. But yes, I am sure people are traveling while positive because they think it's a seasonal allergy or cold, have convinced themselves they don't feel that bad, or are already on the upswing (and don't know/care about how viruses work) or are simply just selfish and don't care about the people they are exposing.”

I’ve been on a dozen planes over the past few months, and anecdotally, it’s true that a lot of people are sniffling, sneezing and coughing − with nary a mask in sight. 

Another traveler told me she knew three people who flew to Europe from California even though they had COVID-19. She and her parents, on the other hand, changed their travel plans last month when they came down with the virus, delaying their flight until they had tested negative for three days.

Should I wear a mask on the plane? 

The CDC , World Health Organization , Mayo Clinic and many other medical professionals agree masks help lower the risk of respiratory virus transmission, especially in tight quarters, like planes, trains, buses and automobiles.  Officials say N95 masks are the most effective. 

Anecdotally, there seems to be a lot of people choosing to fly unmasked − either knowing they have COVID-19 or not testing to find out when they have symptoms. There’s no doubt people are tired of masks and the pandemic, and many are likely treating COVID-19 like the seasonal flu or a cold − something they’ll just have to deal with when they get it. 

Some people even wrote on my social media pages that when it comes to travel, they are not concerned about passing the virus on to others because they feel it's a risk people knowingly take when they get on a plane these days. 

That last sentiment struck a nerve with me because I suspect that's how I contracted COVID-19 two Julys in a row, right after cross-country work trips that coincided with peak summer travel and virus spikes. 

What should you do if you are COVID-positive right before a planned trip? 

Even though I’m vaccinated and received my last booster in December 2023, I have some risk factors and got so sick from COVID-19 last summer that I couldn’t do much of anything for about two weeks.

I initially thought I was experiencing seasonal allergies and waited a few days before testing. By the time I did, I was already pretty sick. I had extreme headaches, head and chest congestion, muscle aches and fatigue, and I lost my sense of taste and smell for almost two months.

This summer was different. Even though I barely had a tickle in the back of my throat, I was tired and achy and knew something was off, so I took a test right away. When it came back positive, I started on Paxlovid immediately and pushed the trip to Alaska back. 

I didn’t fly until my test was negative, and I still wore a mask the entire time I was on the plane. (I didn’t eat or drink the entire flight.) I will continue to wear one indoors until every last symptom (I still have slight sniffles) goes away, even though I’ve now met the latest guidelines of having two negative tests 48 hours apart. It’s not worth the risk of getting my parents − or anyone else − sick. 

I admit, I’ve gotten much more lax about masking up on planes this past year. I often feel a little self-conscious being one of the only people wearing one, but getting sick isn’t worth it. I plan to wear one on all upcoming flights. 

What are the latest CDC guidelines? 

I have several friends who, as long as they are feeling well enough, are expected to put on a mask and go back into the office for work, even with COVID-19. What exactly are the rules now?

The latest CDC guidelines , updated in March, say you can go  back to your normal activities if you meet two requirements:

• You have been fever-free for at least 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medications) .
• Your symptoms are improving overall.

You might still be contagious, however, and the CDC recommends that for at least five days after resuming your routine, you:  

• Wash your hands frequently.
• Practice physical distancing (especially from people with risk factors from respiratory illness).
• Take additional steps for cleaner air .

In addition to the CDC guidelines,  the FDA recommends “2 negative antigen tests for individuals with symptoms or three antigen tests for those without symptoms, performed 48 hours apart” before you go back to being around people. 

Travel insurance: What are the most affordable options?

What if I can’t afford to quarantine or be sick away from home? 

The costs of flight changes, extended stays, and even additional time away from work add up. Does that mean you should stop traveling? No, but you should have a COVID-19 plan that protects others, Richard Martinello , medical director of infection prevention at Yale New Haven Health in Connecticut, told Outside Magazine recently. 

Martinello urges people to consider the moral and ethical ramifications of putting other people in harm’s way, “like not drunk driving,” he said. “Putting yourself in prolonged close contact with fellow travelers when you are knowingly sick, whether with COVID or any other contagious virus, is irresponsible. You never know who you’re sitting next to on a plane. If they’re immune-compromised, even a cold could push them over the edge to serious illness.”

Be sure to check your airline’s COVID-19 policies before you buy your ticket. Many still waive change fees for travelers who need to reschedule because they have the virus. For even more protection, book a ticket that can be changed or credited if you have to cancel your flight, and look into travel insurance . 

I almost always fly Alaska Airlines and usually pay a little extra to make my trip 100% refundable, no matter what. I didn’t do that for this latest flight (to save $280 for my husband and me) and ended up paying one $37 change fee for the difference in ticket prices between the day I was supposed to fly and the day I did. Many airlines will also give you full credit for a future flight if you have to cancel because of illness. 

How can I stay safe while traveling?

Passport Health’s Vicki Sowards says being prepared is vital. She urges travelers to get vaccinations like COVID-19 boosters before travel and pack a first aid kit, including any medications they use when they’re ill. 

“You want optimal health when going on the ‘trip of a lifetime,’” she said. Because COVID-19 spreads through airborne particles and droplets, “take a mask and sanitizer on the plane, just in case you have a seatmate or other traveler close by who is coughing and appears to be ill. Use hand sanitizer before eating or when you know you will be touching your face.”

Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air correspondent. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] . 

Getting sick at the Olympics can seriously undermine podium chances – here’s what athletes should do to avoid illness during the Games

PhD Researcher in Exercise Immunology, Nottingham Trent University

Disclosure statement

Carla Baker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Nottingham Trent University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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Athletes getting sick during the Olympics is surprisingly common. During the 2012 , 2016 and 2020 Summer Games, between 4-7% of athletes suffered from some sort of illness. The 2018 Winter Games were no better with 9% of competitors suffering from an illness. Upper respiratory infections were the most common illnesses reported.

Getting sick during training periods is already bad enough for athletes. Research shows athletes who complete around 80% of their planned training weeks are seven times more likely to achieve their performance goals. For every week of incomplete training – perhaps because of illness – the chance of success is lowered by 26%. Staying illness-free both during training and at competition is an absolute priority.

Since medals are often won by the smallest of margins at the Olympics, even a mild cold could seriously impact a competitor’s performance – and chances of getting on the podium. This is why it’s so important that athletes do what they can to avoid getting sick during the games.

There are two main factors that can increase an athlete’s susceptibility to getting sick: increased exposure to illness-causing bacteria and viruses and suppression of the immune system.

Travelling to the games, exploring the host city and mingling with the approximately 14,250 other athletes living in the Olympic village all provide ample opportunities for competitors to get sick.

At the same time, factors such as jet lag and the stress of competing can work against the immune system – making it less able to combat any pathogens it encounters.

The risk of illness may also be greater for certain athletes. Endurance athletes , for instance, are actually ten times more likely to fall ill compared to other types of athletes. This is probably due to the amount of training they do. Exercise spikes the hormone cortisol, which can suppress the immune system’s function if these spikes happen repeatedly – such as during bouts of arduous training sessions before competition.

Female athletes, Paralympians, water-sport competitors and multi-event athletes are also at greater risk of illness .

Avoiding illness

Fortunately, there are many things athletes can do to avoid getting sick before competing for that gold medal. This includes:

Taking care during long-haul flights: Long-haul air travel involves the re-circulation of cabin air, being in a confined space, having limited ventilation and being stuck near other people for a long period of time. All of these factors increase the risk of catching a cold. Wearing a mask and using antimicrobial nasal sprays may help limit this risk

Focusing on hygiene: The most common way an infection enters the body is via the eyes, nose, or mouth . Washing hands properly and often and avoiding touching the eyes and mouth may lower risk of illness

Avoiding crowds: As with any high-profile sporting events, the Olympics attracts huge amounts of spectators. With these large gatherings comes an increased exposure to potential bugs. Competitors may want to avoid large crowds until after they’ve competed if they don’t want to get sick

Get a good night’s rest: Athletes should aim for more than seven hours of sleep per night. People who only sleep around five to six hours per night are over four times more likely to catch a cold than those who get at least seven hours of sleep or more

Manage stress: Cortisol, a hormone that increases when the body is stressed, can suppress the function of our immune cells – making us more likely to catch a cold . Minimising stress as much as possible before competing is crucial

Eat enough: It’s vital athletes replenish the calories they’re using up during competition. In the run up to the Rio 2016 Olympics, athletes who failed to consume back the calories they were burning during competition were four times more likely to report an upper respiratory illness. This is because our immune cells need energy to function properly. It’s especially important athletes eat plenty of carbs and protein

Leave time to adjust: Athletes should allow at least seven days to adjust after long-haul travel to avoid jet lag-induced illnesses. One study found a quarter of the athletes who travelled by air from Australia to Hawaii for a competition experienced respiratory illness and chest infections on arrival. This coincided with an increase in fatigue and loss of sleep which are known to increase illness risk. It’s advised that people add one recovery day for each time zone they cross

Adjust your training: In the run up to, and once at the games, athletes should replace long training sessions with shorter, more frequent ones. More than 90 minutes of high-intensity exercise can suppress the immune system due to the fact that it elevates cortisol

Take your supplements: So long as they’re allowed, athletes should consume supplements to aid their immune system. Vitamin D , zinc and probiotics can all support immune health.

Ultimately, those who get sick don’t win medals – so staying healthy before and during the competition period is key to an athlete’s chances of success.

• 2024 Paris Olympics

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how do you study when sick with a bad cold?

i feel just awful. ive been sick for a week now, and i have yet to break my fever. i have tests on monday and tuesday, but studying with a fever is obviously not peachy. i missed class monday-wednesday and it takes twice the effort to get information to stick right now. thats alright, i can pull through with at least a 70 on each test, but if anyone has suggestions on how to focus better it would mean a lot.

ive tried tylenol and dayquil. didnt help one bit. i also tried my ADD medicine. still nothing. im about to grab a cold washrag lol. i think this illness has already peaked out. i dont feel nearly as bad as i did earlier this week. is it worth going to the doctor? im not sure if theres anything the doctor can do for a bad virus

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