It looks like 2022 is starting where 2021 left off.
Except for this time, the Omicron strain of COVID-19 is spreading faster than any other variant.
The best way for businesses in Baton Rouge to protect themselves from COVID-19 is to develop a disinfection and sanitization program.
Here are some of Advanced Office Care’s tips on how to keep businesses free of the COVID-19 Omivariant:
Encourage Vaccination
The best way to protect yourself against serious illness and death from COVID-19 is through vaccination! Those who get vaccinated have six times less chance of getting sick, are twelve times less likely to be hospitalized, and 14 times less likely to die from COVID-19.
Consider Local Transmission Rates in Return-to-the-Office Decisions
The risk of workplace COVID-19 transmission correlates with the community infection rate. Businesses may want to consider delaying remote workers’ return or minimizing how many employees are in each location through hybrid work schedules that combine office hours and on-site visits, depending upon what’s most efficient for each company.
Improve Ventilation
Improving ventilation in a building impacts transmission, and increasing the amount of air exchanged indoors decreases chances for infection. In most cases, it’s not necessary to do expensive renovations.
Many workplaces can add more exchanges between rooms or improve their filtration systems with upgrades on current HVAC equipment. UV treatments are also an option if budget permits, but there isn’t enough evidence to show how they prevent COVID-19 from spreading, so this might be unnecessary too!
Decide When to Recommend or Require Masks
In light of recent outbreaks, masks have become necessary to protect against infection, with 90% of employers requiring indoor wear and most (58%) reporting that they are required at all locations regardless of vaccination status.
Encourage Testing
Eighty-four percent of the employer respondents to a survey by the Harvard Review said they plan to offer regular testing, including some employers that have not implemented a vaccine mandate and do not plan to do so.
Of the employers who plan to provide testing, 80% intend to do it weekly. Twenty-five percent of employers expected that employees would pay for the cost of testing where state law allows.
Be Cautious about Reinstituting Travel
Most companies curtailed or halted business travel earlier in the pandemic, and many were beginning to reinstate travel when we learned of the Omicron variant. The variant could increase travel risks, and rapidly changing international rules increase the risk of quarantine or travel disruption.
More contagious variants advise that bosses take a cautious approach in allowing staff to go to areas where COVID-19 infection risks are significant and give them the option to conduct business meetings over video conferences. Leaders are likely to continue cutting back on travel and expenditure spending for the time being, given the risks involved.
Communicate Exposures
COVID-19 infections will continue to occur in businesses over the coming months. Employers should be honest about potential hazards and provide employees with information while maintaining medical privacy for those who have reported COVID-19 exposure.
Employees who have received vaccines against COVID-19 should not be required to quarantine if they are asymptomatic.
Support Mental Health Care
In the coming months, attention to employee mental health issues will be essential. During the pandemic, rates of depression and anxiety have skyrocketed, and the number of drug-related fatalities in the United States has reached 100,000 since April 2020. Many people are grieving the loss of friends and family members.
Employers can provide virtual and digital mental health services, but they should be aware that many digital mental health apps’ scientific evidence of efficacy is yet inconclusive.
Stay Current on the Effectiveness of Interventions
Businesses must stay up to date on which controls to limit the spread of COVID-19 are effective and which ones are ineffective.
For example, most businesses have discontinued temperature checks, proven ineffective in reducing workplace transmission.
We also know that cleaning regularly is sufficient to avoid COVID-19 infections in most situations, and disinfection may be used for high-traffic, high-contact surfaces and workplaces with a confirmed case of COVID-19. Employers can free up more time for emergency preparedness or business initiatives by getting rid of those that are not effective.
COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus causing many businesses and organizations to close their doors.
This closure can have a devastating effect on your business, not to mention the health of you and your employees.
We are here to help. Our sanitation and disinfecting teams are available to provide COVID-19 Sanitation and Disinfecting Services to your business or organization.
We utilize hospital-grade disinfectants, UV-light germicidal, and disinfectant foggers to ensure that your facility is clean and safe for both you and your employees.
If you’re looking for a reliable and experienced COVID-19 sanitation and disinfection company, contact Advanced Office Care today. We have over 15 years of experience in the industry and are dedicated to helping businesses stay safe and healthy during this crisis.
For more information on COVID-19 Sanitation and Disinfecting Services, call us at (225) 751-7388.