Korean Job Discussion Forums

[crazylemongirl]

I've got my first flu of the season. Not surprising as I come into contat with 1,200 germ infested teenagers, who go to school sick because their moms don't want to look after them.

I'm coughing, sneezing, wrapped up in three layers of clothes with the ondol and still cold, plus I'm running out of tissues.

Someone will pay.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[JongnoGuru]

Oh no! It just can't be that "damn kids made me sick" thread time of year already, can it?

Wear surgical gloves and a mask when around children and when touching/grading their papers. Keep a safe distance at all times. Use a stick to prod them if you want the to stand, sit, move.

[Demonicat]

hell, with that. Get sick and give your immune system a work out.

[crazylemongirl]

[JongnoGuru]

So, this "getting sick strengthens the immune system" strategy only works outside of Korea? But getting the flu a million times here just means... you keep on getting the flu ...

Pretty nifty this new science.

[ontheway]

I've been teaching classes of doctors and nurses for several years now. We've discussed this repeatedly. Here's what I've learned from them:

At certain times of the year "flu season" the air is drier. This means your sinuses are drier and less able to filter out the germs. Also, we are more closed in, less fresh air, windows closed etc. and more exposed to concentrated germs. In addition, we are foreigners in a new land being exposed to many new germs to which we have no immunity yet. This is on top of the new diseases that develop every year. And finally, here in Korea, people tend to cough and sneeze without covering their mouth and nose. This spreads germs to others more quickly.

Many of my hospital students believe this is a problem and that Koreans need to learn the "western" habit of covering your mouth and nose. Some doctors insist that it's impossible to cover yourself because you cough and sneeze so quickly. (A good discussion topic anyway.)

In my hogwan classes, I teach all the kids in our science and social studies classes to cover when they cough and sneeze. The mothers, too. (They hang around and watch, so they get the lesson.) It's in the health section of our science books!