As the United States enters the winter months, we are seeing Covid-19 infections rates rapidly increase. The CDC is closely monitoring the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. This virus was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, and spread across the world at an alarming rate.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports 55,064,128 cases and 1,328,015 deaths have been identified across the globe since the start of the pandemic. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States reports that 14,811,301 cases have been confirmed nationally, with 282,371 deaths reported. All 50 US states are impacted, and cases continue to rise with 94% of U.S. jurisdictions affected. As a result, the CDC is asking us all to help slow the spread by wearing a mask, washing our hands, and practicing social distancing.

What are the symptoms of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

The symptoms of the coronavirus are similar to those of the flu. An infected individual will experience a fever, cough, and shortness of breath between 2-14 days of being infected. However, some cases can be more severe. The CDC has reported that the disease’s symptoms have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death elderly persons, infants, or individuals with weak immune systems could succumb easily to this illness if the necessary preventive measures are not taken.

Symptoms of  COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.

Stop the spread of germs

Firstly, avoid nonessential travels to destinations with a Level 3 Travel Health Notice. You can check the Travel Health Notices for recommendations for places you have or will travel to. If you or your employees must travel, please stay away from crowds or densely populated areas in those countries. Per the CDC, “the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus.” However, as a reminder, the CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. These are daily habits that can help prevent the spread of several viruses.

According to the CDC, most people get infected with viruses in the coronavirus family at some point in their lives. The COVID-19 strain initially concentrated in China, can have a more severe impact in terms of respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. The CDC is still studying how the 2019 novel (new) strain spreads.  So far, the CDC has found that COVID-19 seems to spread more easily than flu and causes more serious illnesses in some people. It can also take longer before people show symptoms and people can be contagious for longer. To help prevent infection in your workplace, please adhere to the safety precautions listed in the chart below, and download and share this file with your employees. To learn more information on preventive measures in the workplace, please visit the CDC website – business response.

What to do if your employee gets infected with coronavirus

Encourage your employee to stay home and call a healthcare professional if they have experienced or completed one of the following:

• Developed a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or difficulty breathing
• Have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19
• Live in or have recently traveled to an area with the ongoing spread

The healthcare professional will advise your employee on the next steps to follow. In the meantime, you should perform a high-risk assessment to determine how many persons (colleagues, customers, and vendors) have come in contact with the infected employee. Once you have identified those who may have been exposed, you should ask everyone to get tested. Furthermore, to avoid any disruption of service, please ask the most appropriate employee(s) to cover the duties of the sick employee.

Finally, the CDC suggests that you and your employees should keep yourselves informed as new information is released daily. Please pay attention to public health advice regarding school closures and other social distancing measures. The following links provide additional information on the coronavirus. Please visit the website of the World Health Organization at www.who.int or the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov. If you need further assistance on how to prevent infections in the workplace, please contact our team at info@xcelhr.com.