Blog – Basic COVID Safety Tips

How to Keep Yourself Safe From COVID-19

In addition to how severely COVID-19 can affect people – the death rate in the U.S. is estimated at 1.8 percent of all diagnosed cases – the coronavirus that causes COVID is also extremely contagious because people who are infected but aren’t showing symptoms can still get others sick.

The most common way the virus spreads is from person to person, when people are within six feet of each other, especially if they are speaking loudly, singing, coughing, or sneezing. While it’s less common, it can also be spread from contaminated surfaces, such as doorknobs or countertops, on the hands to the mouth, nose, or eyes.

While nothing short of complete, long-term isolation can guarantee that you won’t be infected by the coronavirus, there are a few steps you can take to minimize the likelihood of getting sick:

• Avoid close contact with others. This is the “social distancing” you keep hearing about. It means maintaining at least six feet of distance between you and other people any time you’re outside the home. It’s estimated that the virus can travel that far in the air.
• Wear a mask. Masks catch a lot of the tiny water droplets that carry the virus. So, while it offers some protection for the wearer, it mainly protects other people from the wearer, who might not even realize he or she is infected if there are no symptoms present. And remember to wear it over the nose, as well as the mouth. Wearing your mask below the nose is almost like not wearing a mask at all.
• Wash your hands… a lot. Most people tend to touch their faces without even thinking about it, and that’s how many viruses get into your body. As often as possible, wash your hands with soap and water, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds. If there’s no soap, a hand sanitizer that’s at least 60 percent alcohol will do.

At Workplace Screening Intelligence, we provide a wide range of services that include clinical laboratory testing, employment drug testing, parental drug testing, and DNA paternity testing, as well as COVID-19 screening. For more information or to make an appointment, please call 800-338-5515 or visit our website at www.workplacescreening.com.

What Small Business Employers Need to Know About COVID-19 Screening

Even nine months into the global COVID-19 pandemic, there is often confusion about what to do in response. New information is constantly coming out as researchers make new discoveries. It's difficult to keep up, especially for small businesses with only a handful of employees. That said, there are a few questions every business owner should know the answers to regarding coronavirus testing.

What do I do if an employee gets COVID-19?

Any employee who receives a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 should not be permitted to return to work until their doctor or physician clears them to do so. That usually involves some form of COVID-19 screening. Once they are diagnosed, close off any areas that this person worked in for prolonged periods. Then wait 24 hours before thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the area per CDC recommendations.

CDC guidelines further recommend that any employees who may have come in close contact (within six feet for a prolonged period) with that person should self-isolate for ten days from last known contact.

What type of COVID-19 screening should I choose?

If you want to have an employee, or multiple employees, screened for COVID-19, it's important to understand the difference between the three primary types of coronavirus tests. These include:

Antigen testing. This is the least expensive test on the market. It is designed to detect an active infection at the time of the test based on a sample from a nasal swab. Results from an antigen test typically take only 15 minutes.

Antibody testing. This test is also fairly affordable. It tests for a recent infection or past exposure to coronavirus and is not designed to detect an active infection. An antibody test is based on a blood draw and results are available in 15 minutes.

PCR Molecular. The PCR test is the ideal solution for determining whether someone can return to work because it can prove the absence of coronavirus. It is based on a saliva sample collected at home, and results take one or two days.

At Workplace Screening Intelligence, we provide a wide range of services that include clinical laboratory testing, employment drug testing, parental drug testing, and DNA paternity testing, as well as COVID-19 screening. For more information or to make an appointment, please call 800-338-5515 or visit our website at www.workplacescreening.com.