“Should you take off work with conjunctivitis?”
I am a 39 year old female and I was diagnosed with conjunctivitis. Should you take off work with conjunctivitis?
8 Answers
Conjunctivitis (pinkeye) is spread by physical contact with the tears. Practice good handwashing, and do not share a towel or pillowcase with someone else. Avoid physical contact with coworkers, including handshaking. For most jobs, it is OK to return to work. Conjunctivitis can take two or three weeks to heal, and most people cannot takeoff that much time for work. SO
This depends on the type of work that you do and the type of conjunctivitis. If you have viral conjunctivitis and are in contact with people that may contract the condition, please either stay home, or be mindful of the surfaces and people you touch.
It depends on the type of conjunctivitis. Viral yes, allergic no, bacterial no
Most conjunctivitis is viral. It means that you are very contagious for several days prior to the symptoms being noticed in for several days afterwards. During that time frame you probably should stay out of work. This is especially true if you met a lot of people, are in a school situation, or handling food. Some types of conjunctivitis a bacterial and they are more difficult to spread. either way, you should be seen by your Eye care provider.
If you have contact with other people or clients, you should either take off work or work from home. It is highly contagious and could easily be transferred to others, especially family.
Dr. LMJ
Dr. LMJ
There are different kinds of conjunctivitis including viral, bacterial, allergic, chemical, etc but viral conjunctivitis is quite common though it can be contagious. I do usually recommend not going to work or working remotely if able to prevent infecting colleagues. If symptoms aren’t resolving within a couple days or certainly if they are worse, an exam with your eye doctor is recommended.
Sean Batson
Sean Batson
If you have contact with people at risk for infection, such as patients or children, then yes. The contagious period is about 5 days for adenoviral conjunctivitis, the most common cause. Antibiotics do not currently work for this. If you can avoid contact with other people, similar to when you have a cold, then it is ok to work. Best to check with your employer to verify their policy on this. And see an eye doctor to be sure of the diagnosis and get treatment if available.
Mark F. Pyfer, MD
Mark F. Pyfer, MD
Yes, so you don’t infect others and you get to rest your eyes.
