Over the past few weeks, it has not been unusual to check my email and see several notices that this person or that person is out sick. In fact, most days there are at least two people out, and some days as many as five. I know I called in sick one day last week - my first sick day in about ten years at WVEC.

I've been fortunate, I will get a cough or sore throat here or there, but rarely does it knock me out. But whatever virus is going around the newsroom has been brutal. It usually starts with a headache, then quickly turns into sinus pressure and an unproductive cough. And the cough doesn't go away as fast as it arrives.

So now the 13 News newsroom echoes the sounds of clicking keyboards and hacking coughs. And I wash my hands five times a day.

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