Abstract
During an influenza pandemic and during seasonal epidemics, more persons have symptomatic illness without seeking medical care than seek treatment at doctor's offices, clinics, and hospitals (1). Consequently, surveillance based on mortality, health care encounters, and laboratory data does not reflect the full extent of influenza morbidity. CDC uses a mathematical model to estimate the total number of influenza illnesses in the United States (1). In addition, syndromic methods for monitoring illness outside health care settings, such as tracking absenteeism trends in schools and workplaces, are important adjuncts to conventional disease reporting (2). Every month, CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) monitors the prevalence of health-related workplace absenteeism among full-time workers in the United States using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) (3). This report describes the results of workplace absenteeism surveillance analyses conducted during the high-severity 2017-18 influenza season (October 2017-September 2018) (4). Absenteeism increased sharply in November, peaked in January and, at its peak, was significantly higher than the average during the previous five seasons. Persons especially affected included male workers, workers aged 45-64 years, workers living in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region 6* and Region 9,† and those working in management, business, and financial; installation, maintenance, and repair; and production and related occupations. Public health authorities and employers might consider results from relevant absenteeism surveillance analyses when developing prevention messages and in pandemic preparedness planning. The most effective ways to prevent influenza transmission in the workplace include vaccination and nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands frequently, and routinely cleaning frequently touched surfaces (5).
Highlights
What is already known about this topic?
Surveillance using mortality, health care encounters, and laboratory data does not reflect the full extent of influenza morbidity
Analysis of aggregated absenteeism data from multiple seasons might help identify occupational groups at higher risk for influenza transmission
Summary
MD, Director Anne Schuchat, MD, Principal Deputy Director Chesley L. MD, MPH, Deputy Director for Public Health Science and Surveillance Rebecca Bunnell, PhD, MEd, Director, Office of Science Barbara Ellis, PhD, MS, Acting Director, Office of Science Quality, Office of Science Michael F. MD, MPH, Director, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services. Weatherwax, Lead Technical Writer-Editor Glenn Damon, Soumya Dunworth, PhD, Teresa M. US Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence of health-related workplace absenteeism* among full-time workers† during the 2017–2018 influenza season, by sex, age group, U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) region§ and occupational group — Current Population Survey, United
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