Prevention Basics
COVID19 spreads mainly through respiratory droplets, aerosols, and contaminated surfaces. The most effective ways to reduce transmission are personal hygiene, mask use, ventilation, and staying home when ill.
Key Actions
- Hand hygiene: Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20seconds or use an alcoholbased sanitizer (60% alcohol) when washing is not possible.
- Mask wearing: Wear a wellfitted, multilayer mask (surgical, KN95, or N95) in indoor public spaces and when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
- Physical distancing: Keep at least 6feet (2meters) between yourself and others, especially in crowded or poorly ventilated areas.
- Respiratory etiquette: Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow, then discard the tissue safely.
- Cleaning hightouch surfaces: Disinfect doorknobs, keyboards, phones, and shared equipment regularly with EPAapproved products.
Vaccination & Boosters
Vaccination remains the most powerful tool to prevent severe disease, hospitalization, and death. Stay uptodate with the recommended primary series and booster doses.
Action: Verify your vaccination status through your employers health portal. Schedule any pending booster within the next 30 days.
Why boosters matter
- Variants with higher transmissibility can reduce the protection offered by the initial series.
- Boosters restore antibody levels, lowering the risk of infection and limiting transmission in the workplace.
Workplace Safety Practices
Employers have a responsibility to create a safe environment. Below are evidencebased practices that can be adapted to most work settings.
Engineering Controls
- Ventilation: Increase outdoor air intake, run HVAC systems on higher fan settings, and use HEPA filtration where feasible.
- Air cleaning: Deploy portable air cleaners with a CADR rating appropriate for the room size.
- Physical barriers: Install plexiglass shields at reception desks or between workstations when distancing is limited.
Administrative Controls
- Flexible work arrangements: Offer remote work or staggered shifts to reduce occupancy.
- Screening protocols: Conduct daily temperature checks or symptom questionnaires; provide clear reporting channels for illness.
- Cleaning schedule: Post a visible cleaning timetable and ensure custodial staff have appropriate PPE.
- Training: Conduct regular briefings on proper mask use, hand hygiene, and how to recognize COVID19 symptoms.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Supply highquality masks and replace them as needed (at least every 4hours for surgical masks, after each shift for N95/KN95).
- Provide hand sanitizer stations at entrances, break rooms, and near shared equipment.
- Make disposable gloves available for tasks that involve frequent surface contact, and train staff on correct donning/doffing.
Additional Resources
- World Health Organization Coronavirus disease (COVID19) pandemic
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID19 Guidance
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration COVID19 Workplace Safety
- Local health department contact numbers (list specific numbers here).
Stay informed, stay prepared, and keep each other safe.
