December 12, 2006 – Quebeckers are among the most carefree of all Canadians about colds and flu, four new polls reveal1.
Only a quarter of Quebecers use a treatment to relieve cold and flu symptoms, according to a survey conducted by the firm CROP among 1,002 respondents. No less than 44% of respondents admit not modifying their behavior.
Half of Quebecers continue to go to work despite a probable drop in productivity. Paradoxically, 25% of those questioned also say they avoid contact with a sick colleague, but only 9% do the same with an infected loved one.
The attitude of Quebecers to colds and flu in the workplace is clearly different from that of other Canadians. Residents of Western Canada, Ontario and the Maritimes are twice as likely as Quebecers to report sick to their employer if they have a cold. That’s according to another survey, conducted by CROP among 1,748 adults across the country. Likewise, 47% of residents of the Maritimes fear transmitting their cold to a colleague, against a meager 24% of Quebecers.
The other two surveys, conducted by the firm Decima, revealed that 58% of Quebecers have not been absent from work for a single day due to illness over the past 12 months, against a Canadian average of 46%. This may be explained by the fact that 72% of Quebec employers recognize that their employees are more productive after taking a day off – the lowest percentage in Canada – compared to 94% in Ontario and 89% in Manitoba and in Saskatchewan.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
According to CNW.
1. The first two surveys were conducted on behalf of the Canadian company CV Technologies, which manufactures the cold and flu remedy COLD-FX. The latter two were carried out on behalf of the pharmaceutical firm Pfizer Canada.
