The sick leave for a cold
The common cold
Colds and flu-like infections are very common and are usually generalized under the term cold.
These are infectious diseases that are transmitted by certain pathogens such as viruses or bacteria and are very contagious.
Those affected often suffer from
- Sniff,
- Sore throat,
- To cough,
- Difficulty swallowing and possibly also under
- Body aches and
- Fever.
A cold can make you lose focus and require a sick leave from work.
Anyone who has a cold has the option of going to the family doctor and getting a sick note.
Read more on the subject under: The course of a cold and therapy for a cold
How long are you normally on sick leave with a cold?
The length of time you are on sick leave for a cold depends on the cause of the symptoms.
Viral colds are different from bacterial ones.
If a virus is responsible, there is no causal therapy, those affected are treated purely symptomatically.
In the case of bacterial colds, antibiotics can quickly relieve the symptoms.
Patients who go to the doctor with a cold and ask for a sick leave are often on sick leave for seven days and, if they don't get better, on the seventh day for another seven days.
Read more on the topic: How can I shorten the duration of a cold
What are the reasons to extend the sick leave?
A cold can typically appear with a harmless runny nose and characteristic symptoms such as coughing and sore throat.
If complications arise in the course of the cold, an extension of the sick leave is necessary.
Possible complications are
- inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis)
- Otitis media,
- Tonsillitis (tonsillitis) and
- Inflammation of the throat (pharyngitis).
It can also cause bronchial or pneumonia.
These clinical pictures require treatment and require strict bed rest so that the sick can get well.
Fever, which can also be associated with the aforementioned inflammation, is a symptom that should not be taken to work. The complications of a cold can be serious and always require an extension of the sick leave.
What are the reasons to shorten the sick leave?
There are several reasons why a patient might want to return to work earlier despite a week's sick leave.
The most common reason for this is to make the person feel fit for work again.
If someone feels healthy enough to go to work sooner, they can just do so. You can simply go back to work or, if necessary, inform your employer beforehand.
Other reasons can be that the person concerned has no choice but to go to work for economic or internal reasons.
Once a sick leave has been issued, it is valid. If the affected patient feels healthy again sooner, he can go back to work.
A shortening of the sick leave by the doctor is not carried out in this way in Germany.
Read more on the topic: How long is a cold contagious
Can the doctor refuse with a sick leave with a cold?
Doctors adhere to medical professional law when performing their medical profession.
According to medical professional law, a doctor is obliged to take all measures based on well-founded assessments and facts and to act accordingly.
A description of incapacity for work due to a cold is considered one such medical measure.
This means that a doctor can refuse a patient's request for a sick note with a cold.
A doctor is not required to write sick leave for every patient with a cold. He assesses the situations and makes decisions according to his own knowledge and discretion.
Also read: Can you go to work with a cold?
Which doctor writes me sick?
If a cold causes such severe discomfort that you feel unable to work and want to get a sick leave, the first point of contact should be your family doctor.
The family doctor is the doctor who is there for such measures. For example, the family doctor can put a patient on sick leave for seven days and ask them to come back on the seventh day if the cold symptoms persist.
This is the easiest way for the patient to get sick leave for the required period.
If you have a cold, a specialist, for example an ENT doctor, can also sign up for illness.
Since you usually need a referral to visit an ENT doctor, which you get from your family doctor, you can save yourself the double journey and have your family doctor put you on sick leave directly
