It is official; this is the sickest day of the year, the Thursday after the return to school by our little darlings from their summer long vacations.

The sales of cough treatments, flu remedies and decongestants, as well as stomach settlers, diarrhea medications and facial tissues vastly increase about two days after the start of the new school year for children.

Chris Frost, Head of Medicines for Lloydspharmacy, said: "Most schools go back on September 4 and it takes about 36 to 48 hours for these kinds of viral and bacterial infections to manifest themselves.

He went on to say,

"When kids first go back into the fray of the classroom, germs spread like wildfire. Children at nursery school and in the first few weeks of normal school are often exposed to a wide range of viral and bacterial infections."

Head lice is also a big problem at the start of the new school term. There is a huge jump in lice medication being sold around the time of "Thursday the Sickth."

Besides the children being exposed to all these germs and bugs, the adults are quickly exposed after the kids come home from school.

Parents often have a weak immune system this time of year from being overly tired after all that back to school shopping, and the festivities from the long Labor Day weekend.

So if you are feeling rather lousy, take it easy, curl up in bed and call in sick for the rest of the week. Your healthy co-workers and classmates will thank you to stay home and keep those germs to yourself.