Coronavirus is a family of viruses that can cause illness such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).  In 2019, a new coronavirus was identified as the cause of a disease outbreak that originated in China.

The virus is now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).  The disease it causes is called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.

The virus appears to spread easily among people, and more continues to be discovered about how it spreads.  Data has shown that it spreads from person to person among those in close contact (within about six feet, or two meters).  The virus spreads by respiratory droplets released when someone with the virus coughs, sneezes, or talks.  These droplets can be inhaled or land in the mouth or nose of a person nearby. It can also spread if a person touches a surface with the virus on it and then touches his or her mouth, nose, or eyes.

Signs and symptoms of coronavirus may appear 2-14 days after exposure.  Not all individuals infected with coronavirus show symptoms.  These individuals may spread the virus without even knowing it. 

Fever, cough, and shortness of breath.  Other symptoms can include tiredness, aches, chills, sore throat, loss of smell, loss of taste, headache, diarrhea, severe vomiting.  The range of symptoms can be mild to severe.  Some people may have only a few symptoms, and some people may have no symptoms at all. People who are older or who have existing chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, severe obesity, chronic kidney or liver disease, or who have compromised immune systems may be at higher risk of serious illness.  This is similar to what is seen with other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza. Some people may experience worsened symptoms, such as increased shortness of breath, about a week after symptoms start.  Signs and symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure.

Recent travel from or residence in an area with ongoing community spread of COVID-19 as determined by CDC or WHO. 

Close contact with someone who has COVID-19, such as being within six feet, or two meters, or being coughed on—which can occur when a family member or health care worker takes care of an infected person

Based on current CDC guidelines, those at high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are people 65 years and older, people who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility, people of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, including chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma, serious heart conditions, immunocompromised (cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications), severe obesity (BMI of 40 or higher), diabetes, chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, liver disease. 

The CDC strongly encourages businesses to coordinate with state and local health officials so timely and accurate information can guide appropriate responses. Local conditions will influence the decisions that public health officials make regarding community-level strategies. CDC has guidance for mitigation strategies according to the level of community transmission or impact of COVID-19. 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/community-mitigation-strategy.pdf

The CDC provides recommended steps that sick employees should consider when determining if/when it is safe to return to work after illness.  Specifically, the CDC states that employees should not return to work until specific criteria are met (discontinuation of isolation criteria) and in consultation with healthcare providers and state and local health departments.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/disposition-in-home-patients.html

According to OSHA, the following guidance is offered to reduce the spread of infection:

• Promote frequent and thorough hand washing. This can be done by providing workers, customers, and worksite visitors with a place to wash their hands. If soap and running water are not immediately available, provide alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60% alcohol.
• Encourage workers to stay home if they are sick.
• Encourage respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes.
• Provide customers and the public with tissues and trash receptacles.
• Employers should explore whether they can establish policies and practices, such as flexible worksites (e.g., telecommuting) and flexible work hours (e.g., staggered shifts), to increase the physical distance among employees and between employees and others if state and local health authorities recommend the use of social distancing strategies.
• Discourage workers from using other workers’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment, when possible.
• Maintain regular housekeeping practices, including routine cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces, equipment, and other elements of the work environment.

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf

Safe work practices are types of administrative procedures that encourage safe and proper work activities that reduce the risk of exposure. Examples of safe work practices provided by OSHA for Covid-19 include:

• Providing resources and a work environment that promotes personal hygiene. For example, provide tissues, no-touch trash cans, hand soap, alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60 percent alcohol, disinfectants, and disposable towels for workers to clean their work surfaces.
• Requiring regular hand washing or using alcohol-based hand rubs. Workers should always wash hands when they are visibly soiled and after removing any PPE.
• Post handwashing signs in restrooms.

Clear and supportive communication about workplace protections and flexibilities go a long way in helping ensure employees feel good about coming back to work.  If not already in place, consider implementing an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resource for employees. 

Below are specific suggestions from OSHA that can be considered during the transition:

• Actively encourage sick employees to stay home.
• Ensure that sick leave policies are flexible and consistent with public health guidance and that employees are aware of these policies.
• Do not require a healthcare provider’s note for employees who are sick with acute respiratory illness to validate their illness or to return to work, as healthcare provider offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely way.
• Maintain flexible policies that permit employees to stay home to care for a sick family member. Employers should be aware that more employees may need to stay at home to care for sick children or other sick family members than is usual.
• Recognize that workers with ill family members may need to stay home to care for them.
• Be aware of workers’ concerns about pay, leave, safety, health, and other issues that may arise during infectious disease outbreaks.
• Provide adequate, usable, and appropriate training, education, and informational material about business-essential job functions and worker health and safety, including proper hygiene practices and the use of any workplace controls (including PPE).
• Work with insurance companies (e.g., those providing employee health benefits) and state and local health agencies to provide information to workers and customers about medical care in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Informed workers who feel safe and supported at work are less likely to be unnecessarily absent.