11 Jul How To Handle Having An Employee Testing Positive For Covid
Employees testing positive for Covid can be uncomfortable news for business owners and staff alike. Fortunately, an employer who acts quickly can curb the spread of infection among their teams. Here is a quick five-step guide to handling an employee testing positive for Covid.
1. Handling the infected team member
After diagnosis, the infected employee must be sent home to quarantine. Instruct the patient to continue self-isolation as directed by the physician. Request information that is needed to identify the scope of infection risk.
Communicate to the employee that you are always available for help and assure them that the confidentiality of the issue will be maintained.
2. Informing the people at risk
The employee testing positive for Covid may have had a meeting with your clients or may have met colleagues outside for drinks. Break the news to those team members who were in contact with the infected person in the ten days prior to the diagnosis.
People who were exposed to the infected patient must leave work, self-isolate, get tested, and monitor themselves for Covid symptoms. Extend your support and empathy to those at risk.
Ensure that the privacy of the patient is not compromised at any point.
3. Make testing arrangements for the entire team
If regular Covid testing is not a part of your business health and safety routine already, consider using the opportunity to hire a professional onsite medical provider.
The rapid PCR Covid test can screen your entire workforce in the shortest possible time. Instant results from the test resolve the risk of greater spread of infection. It also eliminates the fear and uncertainty that comes with not knowing who is and isn’t affected.
Routine testing is recommended for every organization. Risks are remarkably high for businesses that involve travel and have off-site teams visiting the office frequently. Routine tests ensure employee satisfaction and customer safety.
The benefits of ongoing tests include:
- Uninterrupted business continuity
- Lowered risk of a widespread infection
- An absence of untimely surprises
- Reduced costs associated with extra cleaning and operational costs
4. Sanitizing the workplace
Sanitize and clean the common areas and places that were used by the infected person in the days prior to testing positive. Enable sufficient air circulation within the working space by opening all windows.
Hire a Covid sanitation contractor and ensure that the disinfecting guidelines issued by the CDC are met. After sanitization, the business’ regular cleaning routine can be followed.
5. Confidentiality and patient privacy
A Covid-19 diagnosis is classified as “confidential medical information” under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). According to the guidelines outlined by ADA, the employer must not disclose any information pertaining to the condition or symptoms of the patient in the workplace.
However, the limited information needed to identify the people who were in contact with the infected person can be shared with the patient’s supervisor.
Onsite Covid testing versus self-reporting by employees
Some businesses allow employees to self-certify. While this reduces costs for the employer in the short term, self-reporting carries the risk of inaccuracy and misrepresentation. This could incur higher long-term costs.
Onsite Covid testing streamlines the testing procedure and protects your staff, as regular monitoring brings down the chance of employee testing positive for Covid considerably. This is why Covid-19 testing should be a part of the return-to-the-workplace strategy for all types of businesses.
Related:
- How To Safely Organize A Party During Covid
- What’s The Easiest Way To Test Wedding Guests For Covid?
- Should You Get A Rapid PCR Test For Kids?
- How To Safely Organize A Birthday Party During Covid
- How To Organize A Corporate Meeting During Covid
- How To Organize A Team-Building Weekend During Covid
- Should You Test Kids For Covid-19 Before Summer Camp?
- How To Organize A Photo Shoot During Covid
- How Long Does It Take To Test Employees For Covid?
Schedule Your Onsite Covid Testing
Contact us at Concierge MD to schedule onsite Covid testing for your business. We are happy to come to your location to administer the tests to all participating employees. Our tests can return results in as little as 30 minutes to help you act quickly to break the chain of transmission and protect your staff. Give us a call or click the button below to schedule a consultation.
