My colleague who has his desk next to mine in the office has a cold.
What can I do not to become infected?
Some precautions are widely known, such as washing hands as often as possible, not touching the face with the hands, eating healthy foods, opening windows, sports etc. But what do you do? A real lifehack?
First and foremost methods are using droplet protection and cleaning whenever you touch something that is infected.
Besides washing your hands and making sure you and other people cover their mouth when sneezing or coughing you could also do these methods:
Make a Face Mask. These can be made out of handkerchiefs, high collars(if you aren't suppose to wear one, but you need to), disposable paper products that can be thrown away after you use them once. You could buy ones but these are home-made ones.
Make a barrier. This can be done by putting high boundaries up, like books, laying coats across the area and etc. Anything that will protect against droplet infection.
Prevention of Droplet-spread Illnesses:
Avoid close contact.
Germs are transmitted easily when you live in close quarters, especially during winter months when we stay indoors. If you have a droplet-spread illness, avoid getting close to colleagues, friends, or family members. Tell them you're sick and that you don't want them to catch the virus. This helps protect them from getting sick, too.
And remember to hand wash and disinfect things that a lot of people touch before eating or use.
You should wash or disinfect your hands whenever you've touched something that an infected person might recently have touched: computer keyboards, telephone receivers, doorknobs, elevator buttons, faucet handles, countertops, railings, and so on.
Additional Info
Know your company policy, and remember to always review it. If a person is spreading disease and other illness they may not be suppose to go work and they could be sent home depending on the policy.
Remember hand-washing protects against many diseases while using sanitizers doesn't. Sanitizers are good if you can't get to a sink. Always wash hands if they are visibly soiled, sanitizer will only make mud.
Disinfecting sprays can be made with 1/4 cup bleach and 1 gallon of water.
You can use disposable devices that cover your mouth and nose with scarf, veil, face shields or surgical mask while sitting in the office which will provide minimal protection from viruses. Or gently ask him to cover his mouth and nose to not infect others in the office:) BTW. Shouldn't he treat his cold/flu at home?
For additional protection, you may use air purifiers on your desk which are capable of capturing a greater number of bacteria and viruses.
As for additional precaution, constantly drink beverages (or eat food) containing Vitamin C (remember that it gets washed out of your body quicker than the other vitamins, because our body can't store it).
Other life hacks could include buying a full spectrum light bulb which will revitalises office atmosphere by removing micro pollutants and eliminating airborne pathogens, viruses and bacteria (similar to UV lamp which creates a deadly effect on micro-organisms).
Other suggestions:
Use surgical mask (Japan style face-mask)! This is a true Life Hack !
These masks can protect against droplet infection and can be made by just wrapping a cloth around your face or making some yourself. They are also rather better looking than regular masks and offer protection.
