During these highly sanitized, anti-bacterial times, most of us consider ourselves to be at least somewhat germ savvy. We get flu shots. We wash our hands for at least 20 seconds with warm water AND soap. If we're gonna be stuck on an airplane in the middle of a crowded shopping mall during the height of flu season we might pop some extra vitamin C or take some other kind of immune-boosting supplement, just to be safe. But an average day at the office is no reason to go on high cootie alert, right?

WRONG! Wrong, wrong, wrong. According to a study so recent the results haven't even been published yet, your place of work is one of the most ick-infested spots ever -- and what's worse, those nasty bugs always show up early!

The flu epidemic in this country is so awful right now that if you or your family hasn't already been hit, odds are good that you know someone who has. It's everywhere, people -- and the worst part is we still have a couple months or more before spring arrives and hopefully gives us some much needed relief from this monster.

And I can tell you first hand that the flu is, in fact, a monster -- because I've had it, and my poor son has had it twice.

Yes, I said twice. In case you haven't heard, there are two flu strains floating around out there -- Type A and Type B.

If you're one of the unfortunate people who caught the stomach bug that's going around (hi), or the flu, or the nasty colds that seem to be sweeping the nation, you've probably already used a sick day this year. And that's a bummer. Because we want to use sick days for when it's nice out and we can go to the beach. Because no one likes being sick. And if you haven't yet called in sick this year, you probably did at some point last year. And if you didn't last year, you probably did the year before. And -- well, let me just cut to the chase here: A woman who just retired from her job as a postal worker didn't use a single sick day -- in 44 years.

I'm pretty much ready to buy my family hazmat suits and have them start wearing them full-time for the next couple of months. First there's the flu that has me shooting visual daggers at every kid who coughs in our vicinity, and now there's a new "vomiting virus" infiltrating the country that can keep you and yours home and miserable for days on end too.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today released a report that details this new strain of norovirus that is taking over in the United States and spreading through the world. More than 140 outbreaks in the U.S. since September have been caused by it, and more may be on the way.

According to USA Today, we have our friends in Australia to thank for this one as that's where's it originated. It's been dubbed the GII4 Sydney virus. With it comes things like "nausea, projectile vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain."

So this flu outbreak is a serious bummer, isn't it? People are getting sick. But there's plenty of vaccines around if you know where to look, and even if they make you feel kind of crummy for a while, they seem to be working. It could be sooooo much worse. Want to hear how much worse?

Let's talk about the H1N1 ("swine flu") vaccine being used overseas. It's been tied to children getting narcolepsy. You know, that incurable sleep disorder? Around 800 kids in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe have come down with narcolepsy and doctors believe the H1N1 vaccine is to blame.

So do you have the flu yet? If not, are you scared silly, just waiting for it to strike when you least expect it? Are you gargling with salt water, popping vitamin C by the fistful, and adding heaps of brewer's yeast to every dish? Well, you might be missing one of the more fun ways of preventing the flu: Getting busy between the sheets.

By now, you've no doubt heard all about how this year's flu epidemic is reaching, well, epidemic proportions. And besides being widespread, sounds like it ain't a pretty strain (or strains) of flu this time around, either. Maybe you've already experienced the flu, maybe you were first in line for the flu shot, maybe you're contemplating getting a flu shot but your doctor is wiped out of stock ... whatever your current flu status, you're probably wondering what else you can do to prevent the flu (or any of the other nasty bugs lurking out there).

Thankfully, there are some measures you can take to protect yourself and your family, and they really do work -- although some of these tips might take you by surprise.

Eight hospital employees have lost their jobs after refusing to get the flu shot, which became mandatory for all staff this year.

Workers at IU Health Goshen Hospital in Indiana had the option to file for medical or religious exemptions -- but were then given the boot when they wouldn't get the vaccine.

The hospital says its new stricter rules are meant to protect patients with weaker immune systems, since the flu can be particularly dangerous and even deadly if those people catch it. While I appreciate that they're looking out for their patients' well-being, I have to wonder: what about the rights of their own employees?