Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 at Work
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The Dangers of COVID-19
COVID-19 is an infectious disease.
There’s no way to know how COVID will affect you. Most people have a mild case, but it can cause serious illness and death.
People more likely to get very sick include those who’re:
We all have a responsibility to help protect those most at risk for serious illness from getting COVID.
How COVID Spreads
Infected people exhale virus particles. They exhale even more when they cough, sneeze, or talk.
You’re most likely to get infected if:
- You’re 6 feet or closer to an infected person and breathe the same air—particularly indoors.
- You get virus particles in your eyes, nose, or mouth.
What Employers Can Do
Employers can make the workplace safer by taking the following actions. Be sure to educate workers on your COVID policies and procedures.
Properly ventilate the workplace
Helpful ventilation measures include:
- Making sure your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system works correctly.
- Maximizing the amount of outside air supply.
- Using air filters with a minimum efficiency reporting value of 13 or higher.
- Keeping windows and doors open if you don’t have an HVAC system and it’s safe to do so.
- Using portable air cleaners with high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filters in spaces with high occupancy or limited ventilation.
Routinely clean and disinfect
Clean frequently touched surfaces at least once a day. Also clean them after someone who is sick or suspected of being sick touches them.
Frequently touched surfaces include:
- Pens
- Counters, tables, and desks
- Shopping carts
- Doorknobs and handles
- Light switches
- Stair rails
- Elevator buttons
- Electronics, such as keyboards and phones
- Toilets, faucets, and sinks
Soap and water work just fine to clean most surfaces. To further disinfect surfaces, use a recommended disinfectant.
Encourage sick workers to stay home
Make sure your workplace and leave policies are flexible and supportive. Such policies include remote working arrangements, flexible work schedules, and paid sick leave.
Encourage workers to stay home if:
- They’re sick.
- They have to take care of a sick family member.
- They’re unvaccinated and have been exposed to COVID.
Record and report infections
- Report workplace COVID outbreaks to your local health department.
- Employers with more than 10 workers must report work-related COVID cases to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
What Employers and Employees Can Do
Employers should encourage all workers to take the following actions.
Get vaccinated
The most important thing you can do is get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Everyone 6 months or older can get either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.
People 12 and older can also choose to get the Novavax vaccine.
The number of doses you need to stay up to date with your COVID vaccine depends on your age and which vaccine you get.
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Updated vaccines are available to help protect against Omicron.
Get an updated COVID vaccine now if you’re 18 or older and:
- You haven’t yet gotten a COVID vaccine.
- You’re vaccinated and your last dose was before September 2022.
People 65 and older can now get a second updated COVID vaccine beginning 4 months after their first.
People with a weakened immune system can get a second updated COVID vaccine beginning 2 months after their first.
If you recently had COVID, you can wait 3 months from when you got sick to get your updated COVID vaccine.
For vaccinated people 18 and older who haven’t gotten a booster or who can’t or won’t get an updated COVID vaccine, such as for health reasons: You can choose to get a Novavax booster 6 months after completing any of the primary vaccination series (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, or Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen) to help keep up your protection against COVID. However, unlike the updated vaccines, Novavax’s booster doesn’t target the Omicron variant.
You have 3 ways to find vaccines near you:
- Go to vaccines.gov
- Text your ZIP code to 438829
- Call 1-800-232-0233
Employers should give workers time off to:
- Get vaccinated.
- Get over any vaccine side effects that may affect their ability to work. Some people have mild side effects—normal signs that their body is building protection—but they typically last a few days at most.
Wear a mask
Regardless of your vaccination status, wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth in the workplace when the COVID risk to your community is high.
Employers may require workers to wear a mask for everyone’s safety, regardless of the risk that COVID poses.
Wash your hands
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
If soap and water aren’t available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Stay home if you’re sick
You should stay home from work if:
- You’re infected with COVID.
- You have any COVID symptoms.
- You’re not up to date with your COVID vaccines and had close contact with an infected person (you should stay home and quarantine for at least 5 days).
Test to prevent spreading COVID
Regardless of your vaccination status, you should get tested:
- Immediately if you have any symptoms of COVID.
- At least 5 days after you last had close contact with an infected person.
If you test positive for COVID, stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home.
If you have symptoms, you can end isolation once you are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and your symptoms are improving.