We are facing a perfect storm in which rising variants, vaccine hesitancy and a growing lack of trust in public health officials is undermining responses to the gathering storm of variants. Already, new cases are creating regional hotzones throughout the U.S. Add to this a pattern of misleading statements and wishful-thinking policies from politicians, and it is plain to see that this pandemic is far from over.
The U.S. and some other western countries have gambled on this strategy to end the pandemic: Go for herd immunity with vaccines and quickly lift restrictions such as public masking or social distancing. What we are now witnessing is that strategy falling short. Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, recently said that herd immunity is “theoretically possible but we as a society have rejected that. There is no eradication at this point. It’s off the table.”
Other countries took drastically different approaches to Delta than the United States has. For example, in Guangzhou, China, upon news of just 96 cases of the Delta variant in the city, officials imposed strict travel restrictions, testing practices and lockdowns.
As Dr. Poland points out, we threaten to lose control as variants such as Delta steadily emerge and move throughout the world as travel resumes. So, unfortunately, the pandemic is not over, and it’s not going away any time soon. Ending the pandemic would undoubtedly require a new strategy — one that includes vaccines, but does not rely exclusively on them.
As corporate leaders, like myself and others, you have to decide the proper path to take on reopening your businesses. From my point of view, it is to not get sick. It is to not get infected. It is to understand and run a healthy workplace. It is to not endanger our employees or customers in our day-to-day operations. It is to not generate enormous liabilities and loss of productivity by following government guidelines that create avoidable infections. Let me offer some advice:
Require and provide good masks.
A study by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust points out that healthcare workers’ infection rates plummet when they upgraded the quality of their masks to FFP3. Allowing poor masks is almost as bad as allowing no masks. Most importantly, wearing a mask should no longer be a political statement. It is a physical action designed to reduce exposure to aerosolized virus particles.
As leaders, we must be engaged in wearing masks, not because the government says so, but because we are trying to not get sick and to keep others from becoming sick. If you don’t demonstrate this, you are not going to persuade your employees to wear masks and PPE or engage in virus-safe practices.
Insisting on compliance from all employees is important to workplace safety. Infection events can happen anywhere and are not influenced by individuals’ judgements, politics, religious affiliations or feelings.
Improve air circulation and workplace distancing.
This includes in offices, conference rooms, cafeterias and, yes, even meatpacking plants. Companies that do not engage in workspace improvement may run into the next great source of corporate liability for the choices they make.
Continue to work out “work from home” strategies that have already reduced exposure and infection so effectively. Providing in-office employees space where they are able to eat, drink and de-mask while not putting others at risk helps maintain compliance in common spaces or when meeting with others. For example, providing employees with access to outdoor lunch space, individual spaces where a “mask break” can be taken safely, or physically separated indoor offices for individual employees can help alleviate the pressure of all-day mask compliance.
Because COVID is aerosolized, and Delta in particular is very contagious, improved air filtering and ventilation is important. An employee sitting in their office can concentrate aerosolized particles in their office air unless it is being ventilated or filtered.
So, what is our next move? Take steps to protect yourself and your employees. It is easy to get lost in all the figures, incomplete information and inconsistent policies, but protecting yourself and your employees can be straightforward. If vaccination and our public policies cannot end the pandemic, at least the business community can provide layers of protections that help individuals stay healthy.
Become your own expert.
The most important advice for employers is to become your own expert. Do not allow a talking head, a producer or a few news stories define your understanding of the pandemic. The best tool for making sensible decisions that are appropriate for your business is to do your homework to understand this pandemic at a deeper level than your average employee.
At this stage, employers need to think broadly about the lasting impact of this pandemic. Long-COVID is an under-covered aspect of this ongoing pandemic that employers need to take seriously. Current data suggests that roughly 10% of all COVID infections result in long-COVID syndromes. These cases can be very serious, up to and including severe functional disability. Productivity, creativity, health insurance rates and more will all be affected by these cases. This underscores the importance of preventing infection in the first place.
Infection-averse policy and behavior such as mask wearing and social distancing are of utmost importance to prevent continued transmission and infection. To keep yourself safe, integrate your conduct with the existence of mutations. Support your immune system, practice social distancing, wear a mask and get vaccinated.
The information provided here is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should consult with a qualified healthcare provider for advice concerning your specific situation
