Winter colds and flu hit businesses

Press, 15 July 1987, Page 7

Winter colds and flu hit businesses

Health reporter

Winter colds and influenza have affected many Christchurch businesses in the last two weeks.

Many city employers report that about 10 per cent of their staff are away sick. Mr Mark Oskam, personnel manager of the D.I.C. department store, said yesterday that nine of the store’s 80 sales staff were off work.

“It is quite disastrous — that is 10 per cent of our sales force away. It makes things very difficult.” The Bank of New Zealand had 21 out of a staff of 208 away yesterday, and the Christchurch Transport Board had 42 of 582 staff sick.

A board pay officer said this was about onethird more than were usually away. However, virologists at Christchurch Hospital have so far not isolated any influenza strain. Dr Pete Shult, a virologist, said this might be because samples were taken only from hospital patients. In the meantime, business is booming among Christchurch doctors and chemists. Medical centres report a big increase in the numbers of patients with flu.

Dr Selwyn Carson, bf the Christchurch South Medical Centre, said that while there had been no death, some elderly people and young children had been quite ill.