Childhood Disease at 30
Well, now you have it. I've caught the little angel's hand, foot and mouth disease. Here are some quotes about how easy it is for an adult to catch:
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Rarely, adults and older children may develop a mild form of the illness. The affected person is infectious until the spots fade. The incubation period is between 2 and 10 days. (This means it may take 2-10 days to develop symptoms after being in contact with an infected person.) (Another UK medical Web site - boy, does the UK suck...)
So anyway, I have been pondering whether or not I should go back to the office. I am working from home today, mostly because I am so freaked out by the whole affair I wasn't sure how to proceed. Finally, my friend K. called. K. is always v. honest, so I asked her if she thought it was totally icky and irresponsible to go back to work, despite the fact that the pediatrician thought it would be okay. K. pointed out that she doesn't even like it when people with colds go to work. Okay, I have been at work with a cold for two weeks...perhaps I should quit with the sinning already, eh?
K. and my mother both recommended I milk it in the name of a germ-free workplace. And, I have to admit, I do feel rather smarmy at the thought of subjecting anyone to this. There might be people who are pregnant that I don't know about at work. What if a parent picked something up from me and carried it home to their kiddos? I am pretty diligent about trying not to salivate on things, but one just never knows how persistent germs can be. So I think I will probably be working from home again tomorrow, just to be safe. Thank goodness for technology, wireless networking and cellular phones. Thank goodness that I'm not a construction worker. I have to admit, though, I kind of miss my office pals. I never thought I would say I could be lonely for the office, but after almost a week away from it, I rather miss the hallway conversations and impromptu lunches. There are definitely pros and cons to everything in life.