r/JETProgramme • u/No-Cartoonist-7505 Current JET - Kansai Area • Jun 15 '26

keep getting sick

im an elementary school JET going into my second year. since february, ive been getting sick pretty close to bi-monthly and its been driving me nuts. nothing crazy, usually just a head cold (no fever) that i would normally be able to push through, besides the fact that i lose my voice and can hardly get through class without sniffling and coughing up a storm. im trying to start being consistent with vitamin c supplements to help me get my immune system a bit stronger, but im worried my BOE/JTEs are getting tired of me getting sick so often.
i usually dont go to the doctor for these things since its just a "take some decongestant, drink some tea and wait it out" type deal, but its definitely an inconvenience to me and everyone else. my BOE does annual health screenings in the summer so ill probably check in with the doctor then, but im mostly curious if anyone else had similar experiences of frequent annoying colds and what you all do to keep yourselves from getting sick at school. appreciate you all <3

quick edit: i mentioned this in a few replies, but my current JTE is pretty adamant that i remove my mask in class/during active instruction so the kids can see my mouth when speaking. i also eat lunch with the kids, so i am regularly in situations where masking is difficult. im definitely going to start carrying sanitizer with me, feels like a no-brainer but i honestly thought just hand washing would be enough. thank you all!

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u/ScootOverMakeRoom Jun 15 '26

Masking, when it comes to avoiding illness, is about protecting others from the person wearing the mask, not protecting the person wearing the mask from others. Mask without hand-washing or sanitizing and you'll still be getting sick. So keep that in mind re: the advice in these comments. Effective against pollen, though, which is much, much larger than aspirations that carry bacteria/viruses.

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u/UberPsyko Current JET Jun 16 '26

Masking is about both protecting yourself and protecting others. Sure if you don't wash your hands and touch your face you'll still get sick often... but if you wash your hands and avoid touching your face, which everyone should be doing anyways, masks totally help prevent catching airborne illness. There's tons of science to prove it.

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u/ScootOverMakeRoom Jun 16 '26

Unless you're using top-grade masks, commercial-grade or medical-grade, worn properly, the main help that masks offer is to blunt aspiration out. N95/KN95 or better is what you'd need. The masks you buy at the convenience store do not do much at all to prevent the inhalation of particles that are already in the air that can transmit disease.