Evaluating Your COVID-19 Risk

Coronavirus-related health and safety guidance continues to evolve, leaving many American workplaces uncertain about how to best protect employees and their families. Some business leaders have wondered, “Should I prohibit lunches out?” Others have questioned, “Should I minimizing carpooling to job sites?”

As the PBS NewsHour recently noted, “anytime you relax social distancing, there could be serious health risks.” However, workplaces can limit employees’ chances of contracting or spreading the virus with proper education. When it comes to helping workers evaluate their COVID-19 risk, there are three main contact factors to reiterate:

Intensity: When determining whether to engage in a certain activity, workers should first consider how close and how long their contact with others will be. The highest risk situations include indoor or crowded spaces over a prolonged period of time.

Number: When it comes to COVID-19, less is more. Employees should avoid large gatherings to limit their exposure. According to the CDC, “The more people an individual interacts with at a gathering and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the potential risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 and COVID-19 spreading.”

Mitigation: If employees are planning to be around others outside of their immediate families, encourage them to consider potential mitigation factors. When possible, they should move interactions outdoors or to open spaces. If social distancing isn’t possible, CDC-approved cloth face coverings should be worn, particularly around those who are older or immunocompromised.

The risk of COVID-19 remains. If you need additional guidance or innovative solutions like contact tracing to help keep your workplace safe, contact us at webquestion@cteh.com.

Any scientific or medical information included in this article is current as of the date of publication; however, public health knowledge of COVID-19 is rapidly developing. Readers are advised to monitor national, state and local public health agencies for current recommendations regarding any infectious disease.