We often hear that we need to “stay home” when we have a fever, or when we are sick, or when we suspect that we’ve been exposed to a contagious virus. We are told that it is bad for us to try to push through it and leave our house no matter how much we have to do at work, school, and at home.
Advising people to stay home when sick is correct. You absolutely should stay home whenever possible any time you are feeling ill. There are many reasons for this advice, which we will get to in a moment, but what we want to draw the most attention to is how often we are asked to leave our home and go to a medical office when we are feeling ill and need medical support.
As we will show in a moment, leaving your home to go to a doctor’s office or other medical facility does not make sense knowing that it is in our best interests to stay home when sick. That is one of many reasons why many people have switched to concierge medicine from American River Visiting Providers.
What is Concierge Medicine?
Concierge medicine, also known as at-home medical care or “house calls,” is medical care that comes to you. You receive your own nurse practitioner that can perform everything from routine checkups to some urgent care services, all in ways that are typically covered by most forms of insurance.
What you’ll see is that concierge medicine makes sense as a way to keep both us safe and others. Some of the reasons that you SHOULD stay home when sick include:
- Preventing the Spread of Illness – Many illnesses, especially viral infections like the flu or the common cold, are highly contagious. By staying home, you minimize the risk of transmitting the illness to others, including colleagues, friends, and the general public. That is especially true of vulnerable populations, such as seniors and those with immunodeficiencies – both of which you might encounter when you are in a doctor’s office.
- Preventing an Illness Yourself – When you’re already sick, your immune system is weakened. Additional illnesses may be more harmful to your system and harder for your body to fight. Any time you head to a medical office, even if you’re wearing a mask, you’re surrounding yourself by sick people in a way that could put you at more risk.
- Faster Recovery – Your body needs rest to fight off illness. Continuing with regular activities can exacerbate your condition, potentially leading to a prolonged illness or more serious complications. That includes even the simple act of driving to your medical facility. You are supposed to rest as much as possible, which is not possible when you have to go to a hospital or other medical facility.
- Better Mental Health – Staying home also allows you to take the necessary time to relax and recover, away from the stresses and demands of work or school. Illnesses can already be stressful, and that can actually weaken your immune system and affect recovery time. All the more reason to address your mental health by staying home when sick.
Every time you step foot in a medical facility of any kind, you are pushing yourself harder than you are supposed to, resting less, and putting both yourself and others at greater risk for illness. It’s not just work that you need to stay home from. By receiving diagnoses and treatments at your home instead of pushing you to go to a medical office, you are able to cut out many unnecessary steps and hopefully get the time you need to recover.