Public health officials have been urging people to prepare — not panic — for the new coronavirus (also known as COVID-19). Those calls took on added urgency as cases of the virus have started to spike in countries outside China.
Information and statistics on the Coronavirus, or COVID-19, are daily changing creating worry and misinformation to be spread along with the illness. To combat both the spread of the virus and the negative emotions in connection with it, employers need to have an open dialogue with their employees about the virus; it’s potential impact on the organization and what employees can do to protect themselves. Include recommendations for protecting the workplace and employees from spreading the virus, and helping to create a more thoughtful discussion between employers and employees.
Remind employees that the best way to prevent the spread of the illness is to regularly wash their hands and avoid touching their mouth, eyes or nose. The CDC recommends washing your hands with water and soap for 20 seconds, rubbing and lathering the backs of the hands, between your fingers and under your nails. In order to effectively time out 20 seconds while washing your hands, you can hum or sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice from beginning to end. To reinforce and remind employees that they should be washing their hands regularly, place signs around the building and especially in public areas such as bathroom and food preparation spaces.
A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association that examined the first 45,000 cases in China found that 80% of the reported cases appear to be mild. The other 20% of those diagnosed had moderate, severe, or critical symptoms, including a hard time breathing, pneumonia, and organ failure. About 2.3% of overall infections have been lethal. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a similar virus that started in China in 2002, also hit people over 60 the hardest. More than 8,000 people contracted the virus over 8 months, nearly 10% of whom died.
With COVID-19, so far children ages 1-9 account for just 1% of all Chinese infections, and none of the deaths, according to the JAMA study. Another 1% are ages 10-19.
People in their 70s who got the virus, 8% died, the study found, along with nearly 15% of those 80 and older. “Someone in their 80s has a pretty high risk of not leaving the hospital” if treated for COVID-19, Mina says.
People with heart problems, diabetes, or lung issues like COPD are also at a higher risk for severe disease and death. Comparing COVID-19 to viral pneumonias, both tend to have a worse effect on people who already have a weakened immune system.
DO wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, several times a day. Use soap and water or a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol:
DON’T touch your eyes, nose, and mouth. If you have somehow come into contact with the virus, touching your face can help it enter your body.
DO learn the symptoms, which are similar to flu:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Most cases do not start with a runny nose.
DON’T wear a mask unless you’re sick. Masks help protect others from catching the virus, but wearing one when you’re healthy won’t do much. Demand has been so high worldwide that shortages have begun. Leave the masks for people who really need them, like the sick or health care professionals.
DO consider taking extra precautions and staying out of public places if you’re over 60 years old, or have a condition, as you have a higher risk of developing the disease. Note that as of now, the highest-risk groups appear to be seniors and people with preexisting conditions like heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.
DON’T travel if you have a fever. If you get sick on flight, tell crew immediately. When you get home, contact a health professional.
DO reconsider travel to affected countries. Currently, the CDC advises against all nonessential travel to China and South Korea. For people in a higher-risk group — seniors and people with preexisting conditions — the agency suggests postponing nonessential travel to Italy, Japan, and Iran as well. Find the latest advisories here.
DON’T panic. At this point, public health officials still say the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 is low. Taking proper precautions — wash your hands! — and making preparations are the best things you can.
DO: Prepare by making sure you have supplies at home in case someone gets sick and needs to be quarantined. This would include prescription medications for anyone in the family, other health supplies such as over-the-counter pain relievers, and disinfectants to clean household surfaces. Studies suggest that coronaviruses can live on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. Clean them regularly with a disinfectant to kill the virus.
While COVID-19 has just been declared a pandemic, a government web site also suggests keeping a 2-week supply of food and water in the case of a pandemic and having copies of electronic health records. Defn. Pandemic: An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world due to a susceptible population. An epidemic affects more than the expected number of cases of disease occurring in a community or region during a given period of time.
Do’s and Don’ts When You Don’t Feel Well
DO seek help early if you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Don’t just drop into the nearest urgent care clinic. Call your doctor to find out the protocol first, to make sure you won’t spread the disease to others.
DON’T go out except to see your doctor, after calling first. And if you do have to go out, avoid public transportation, taxis, and ride-sharing.
DO cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or a tissue, and dispose of the tissue immediately in a covered bin. (You should be doing this whether or not you suspect COVID-19 — you don’t want to spread a common cold, either.)
DON’T hang out with your family or pets if you suspect you have the virus. In order to protect them, eat and sleep separately from them, try to stay in one room, and use a separate bathroom if possible. Yes, pets are included in the recommendations. There has been one report of a dog testing positive in Hong Kong for the virus. But officials there said they are not sure the dog is actually infected. The CDC says experts don’t know for sure whether pets can catch it.
DO wear a mask properly around others if you suspect you may have the virus — the mask itself can be a source of infection if you don’t follow the guidelines. The World Health Organization has videos on when and how to use a mask.
DON’T reach for antibiotics. If you happen to have some lying around from a previous illness, you may be tempted. But antibiotics work only on illnesses caused by bacteria, and the coronavirus is — you guessed it — a virus. Source: WebMD senior health writer Brenda Goodman.