How to avoid getting sick when everyone at work is sick
Working while constantly surrounded by sick students and teachers makes it easy to catch every bug that goes around. This leaves people with weak immune systems searching for remedies and elixirs to avoid falling ill on the job.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 16.7× more often in r/Teachers than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Trying to delegate tasks to existing employeesDid this help you?
- 2Attempting to continue working through severe illnessDid this help you?
- 3Putting the business into hibernation or slow modeDid this help you?
- 4frequently washing hands or using hand sanitizerDid this help you?
- 5placing tissue boxes far away from studentsDid this help you?
- 6getting flu, COVID, and other routine vaccinationsDid this help you?
- 7using an air sanitizer setup in the classroomDid this help you?
- 8improving sleep, diet, and physical exercise routinesDid this help you?
- 9Wearing a maskDid this help you?
- 10Using air purifiers and open windowsDid this help you?
- 11Getting flu and COVID booster shotsDid this help you?
- 12Taking vitamins and supplementsDid this help you?
- 13Washing hands frequently and using disinfecting wipesDid this help you?
- 14Staying out of schools (recommended by specialists)Did this help you?
- 15Masking with an N95 respiratorDid this help you?
- 16Taking over-the-counter medication like Sudafed from behind the pharmacy counterDid this help you?
- 17Taking supplements like zinc, elderberry, and vitaminsDid this help you?
- 18Drinking plenty of water, resting, and getting an annual flu shotDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I'm suffering from severe depression and almost completely unable to work. My business depends on me.”source ↗
“I will be hospitalized.”source ↗
“There are certain things I need to do in my business no one else can - and that's the main issue.”source ↗
“This is my only source of income. Without it I am homeless.”source ↗
“Just like the title said. Sick again. I've slept with tissues shoved up my nostrils the past two nights and have a raging headache. This cold sucks. I just want to put up my Halloween decorations but I'm lying on the living room couch watching hoarders.”source ↗
“I felt like death getting home Friday and went to bed by 7pm.”source ↗
“I need to cut down how many times I get sick during the school year.”source ↗
“Does anyone wear a mask while teaching?”source ↗
“I am bringing in an air purifier to my classroom.”source ↗
“Today after lunch I started feeling lousy. There are 5 teachers out sick and a bunch of students.”source ↗
“I was curious if you have a go-to elixir, powder, or what have you that helps your immune system? Mine is not very good, unfortunately.”source ↗
“Now, we made it through 1 full week of school and I'm already down for the count with a cold that set my throat on fire and snot is pouring out of my face. I hate to use my days so early in the year (and I'd rather take them for fun reasons, not sick reasons). What are your secrets? Please, I'll try anything!!”source ↗
“I can commiserate! One of my germy darlings shared their cold. I felt like crap all day yesterday and now I feel too yucky to do anything.”source ↗
“I used to get sick over every three day weekend and break.”source ↗
“7th grade 😭. But I also have an 8 and 5 yo at home, so I'm getting it from all sides.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4How to stay positive when you get sick or injured while traveling
- 4How to handle severe depression and isolation at work
- 5What to do if you get sick right before your wedding
- 13How to get HR to approve an ergonomic standing desk for back pain
- 6What are the real work hours like for a new HVAC tech?
- 40Why are teachers expected to be available 24/7?