Friendly Neighborhood Reminders: Infectious Disease Unit

It may have been a little warmer than usual outside, but January is prime time for colds. Boston has been touched by infectious disease in the workplace - at the Globe, no less.

The Dig got an e-mail sent throughout the Globe offices indicating an instance of measles in the office. Bostonist sends its sympathy over there. That's one of the benefits of blogging - it's awfully hard to get other people sick when you're sitting at your laptop in the comforts of your own home.

So, this is the time for a little reminder for all us commuters and worker bees. Our brothers and sisters at Torontoist prepared an extensive guide to avoiding illness during the winter season. Bostonist recommends that you cross the border and read it.

If you don't have the time, highlights from Torontoist include the "sleeve sneeze." In general, when the urge to sneeze strikes, the snot goes on your sleeve, not on the person who sits next to you on the T. Stock up on the Purell, and run wild with it if you must touch the metal pole. Torontoist writes, "Sneezing into your upper arm or the crook of your elbow helps keep hands clean and fabric isn't a great place for viruses to survive for long." That might not stop measles, but anything helps.

Image of the "sleeve sneeze" from Torontoist.