Fighting the flu (and its extremely high cost)

07/27/2008

Don’t ever pooh-pooh sniffles, joint pains, and fevers. When you realize the staggering cost of healthcare associated with flu, you will appreciate the truth that prevention is better than cure. Losses in terms of productivity, pain on the part of the patient, and worries on the part of the loved ones add up to a very high cost of flu or influenza.

According to the Department of Health, as of the late 1990s, influenza is the fourth leading cause of illness in the Philippines. Flu transmits rapidly and takes about a week to heal but it could also bring on complications like pneumonia.

When a toddler is sick, parents usually take a leave from work to take care of the child. Even when only one member of the family gets affected by influenza, the ripple effects are felt far and wide: disruption caused by absenteeism could translate to reduced income, which means less purchase power and loss of revenues — afflicting an entire economic system.

During peak season, a lot of money is dispatched in order for health services to be delivered to people. Hospitalizations, consultations, medical tests and medicines for fever, headaches, muscle and joint pains, colds and cough cost a lot of pesos and when you compute the cost per individual in an entire population, the sum total is enormous. And that’s not even talking of a flu epidemic yet.

One sure way to save your household or business from the high cost of influenza is to use Clorox disinfectants, which provides up to 24-hour protection. Many products in the market are not formulated to eliminate cold and flu viruses, losing their power once surfaces are repeatedly touched and recontaminated.

Clorox Disinfecting Spray and Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, which comes in Fresh, Citrus, and Floral Fresh variants, are now available at leading department stores and supermarkets nationwide.

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