Should I call in sick?

Is there a good litmus test for when I should keep away from the office? If you have a fever, chills, or sweats, it’s advisable to stay home. But it really depends on how you feel. What I usually tell people is to stay home if you’re so weak you can’t get your head off the pillow.

If I do go in, how do I keep everyone else from getting sick? Wash your hands carefully—that’s one of the key factors. Cough into the crook of your elbow, not into the palm of your hand, so you won’t spread germs when you touch things.

How long do germs stick around after I cough or sneeze? They last on doorknobs and desks for several minutes minimum, but they can persist for several hours.

Will it help to wipe down my desk? There is a benefit to doing that. Your desk does carry germs, especially when you eat on it, like I always do. Wiping it down periodically with an alcohol-based solution is a good idea.

What about more obsessive behavior, such as opening the bathroom door with a paper towel? Or refusing to touch the elevator buttons? People use the towels to get out of the bathroom, because other people use the bathroom and don’t wash their hands. That’s not going overboard. But the elevator buttons stuff—i touch the buttons, and I haven’t died from it yet. There are germs around. What are you going to do, live in a bubble?

Michael Zimring, an infectious disease expert

at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, addresses your

winter bug bugaboos