Indeed, it's unfortunate that some people can't even continue to work from their homes while sick.
Even working on the farm, I rarely could take a sick day. Cows won't milk themselves and you can't tell them to hold it for a few days either.
I don't mean that people should take a few days off, they should, but that may not be possible, I mean that you'll have a period where you're not capable of more than basic tasks.