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 THE TRUE COST OF THE SNEEZE REVEALED 24/10/2005 In total Brits will spend £3 billion warding off colds this winter Runny nose, sore throat, aching back. Everyone is familiar with the curse of the common cold, particularly at this time of year when the nights are drawing in and temperatures are dropping. However, one thing most people fail to consider as they lie bed-ridden under a pile of tissues is the cost of that cold. A new study by debit card Maestro shows that the average Brit forks out around £30 each time they catch the dreaded winter bug and with each person catching around two colds each year, costs soon mount up with the sneezing community forking out around £3 billion annually in the battle of the bug. These costs include traditional items such as cold and flu remedies (£7), pain killers (£4) and a surprising £4 on tissues, as well as hidden costs such as phone calls and texts (£7), herbal remedies (£1.50) and bath products (£3). In addition, cold-filled Brits seek solace by eating, spending £4 extra on their favourite comfort food. Colds also mean cost for those Brits who plan ahead, with the average spending £20 in an effort to avoid the lurgy. This cost includes an average of £1 on vaccinations, £2 on herbal preventatives such as Echinacea and £5 on vitamin supplements. Women are more pre-emptive, spending almost £25 compared to the more modest £15 spent by men. They are also more inclined to find the winter cloud's silver lining by using the season as a fashion opportunity, spending an average of £13 on warm winter wear such as scarves and woolly hats. Office poli-sicks Recent figures show that the average Briton takes over eight sick days each year, and the Maestro study attributes almost two of these days (1.7) to colds. The research also shows that people could be more prone to giving in to illness at this time of year, as over half of Brits admit to suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during the onset of the winter months. The traditional doctors' advice to get plenty of rest when too ill for work, seems to be heeded by the majority of Brits with over half languishing in bed until the pain has gone away. Other favourite sick-day pastimes include watching television (60 per cent), reading (35 per cent) and eating comfort food (20 per cent). In addition, almost five per cent of Brits admit to spending their sick-days searching the web for bargains. Yet getting over illness is not a guilt-free activity as almost 20 per cent of those questioned said that they believe their colleagues think they are faking whenever they call in ill. This fear does not appear to be without cause, as a quarter of Brits also said that they would not usually trust the legitimacy of a co-worker's sick call to the office. Despite this cynicism, around half of UK workers treat colleagues with extra love and sympathy if they do struggle into the workplace. Five per cent of workers however are not so kind and choose to mock and tease their sniffling colleagues, while a further 10 per cent give them a wide berth for fear of falling victim to the lurgies themselves. When looking for love and affection, the poorly should head for female co-workers as they are almost twice as likely to be sympathetic to the needs of the unwell, than their male counterparts. Love sick For Brits, the adage 'in sickness and in health' appears to ring true with partners spending an average of £6 on helping their loved ones to feel better. They also shower their other half with extra affection, as 40 per cent claim to offer a sympathetic shoulder to cry on in times of ill health. Yet, it is not always tender loving care at home, with 20 per cent of irritable Brits saying they argue more when battling a cold, whilst five per cent go so far as to admitting to being disgusted with their partner's runny nose and watery eyes. Furthermore, the majority of the UK (80 per cent) believe men to be bigger whiners when ill, than women. Given this statistic, it is perhaps not surprising that more men spend their sick time on the phone, possibly whinging down the line to anyone who will listen. Nigel Turner, Marketing Director Maestro UK, comments: "This research shows that not only can a bad cold hit you in the nose, it can also hit you in the wallet and people should make considered choices when deciding which cold-busting items to surround themselves with as they lie on the sofa. "Also, as our research shows that almost 20 per cent of people find the husky voice of the cold sufferer sexy, perhaps the winter bug should be a cause for elation rather than misery!" NOTES TO EDITORS: Research was conducted by Experian among a sample of 1,610 people across Great Britain For further information, please contact: Helena Bloomer | |
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