Well, that turned out to be a rushed discussion about COVID-19! I’m posting here for greater depth and clarity, and please let me know if you have anything to add or edit. Big disclaimer: I’m obviously not a doctor or virologist. I’m just reasonably well informed by the staff nurse at the preschool I own and a fair amount of my own reading.
What You Can Do
It’s important to understand that COVID-19 is transmitted via contact with the virus. It is not an airborne virus, so you cannot get it by simply sharing the same air space with someone who is infected. Someone with the virus must cough or sneeze in a way that it leaves droplets of saliva or mucous on a surface that you later touch. Even then, you could still be fine if you wash your hands. The trick is not to touch your mouth, nose or eyes after coming into contact with the virus.
- Wash your hands frequently. Use soap and warm water, scrub for a minimum of 20 seconds.
- Hand sanitizer is not as effective as washing your hands, but it’s a good plan B when you can’t get to a sink with soap. Just make sure your brand of hand sanitizer has an alcohol base of at least 60%.
- Use disinfecting wipes on your workspace regularly. Weekly is usually sufficient, but in the current circumstances, a daily wipe-down seems appropriate. The Perk brand of wipes that we use in the office is effective against flu and coronavirus. Pay particular attention to your keyboard and mouse.
- It sounds like Kristen is wiping the exterior door handles and keypad daily (thank you), so I’ll volunteer to take care of the interior door handles and kitchen.
- If you use disinfecting wipes at home, note that many are effective against bacteria and not necessarily viruses. If in doubt, read the label!
- If you exhibit symptoms, please let your manager know and stay home! We have a flexible work-from-home policy. Do yourself and your colleagues a favor and use it!
Keep Calm
I think it’s also important to understand the bigger picture of COVID-19. As a result of how quickly COVID-19 has spread from its beginnings in China, the World Health Organization has declared this a pandemic. It’s unfortunate that “panic” is so easily derived from “pandemic,” but panic is exactly what we should work to avoid. The key is to be well-informed.
- The Centers for Disease Control has an entire section of its website devoted to the latest updates and everything you might want to know about the virus.
- For a more local view, 9News is providing COVID 19 updates on its blog.
- The number of cases in China has been declining since the peak of the outbreak at the end of January. While the curve suggests it will get worse in the US in the very short term, it also suggests the spread of the virus in the US can be contained. As we’ve all seen in the media, steps to cancel or suspend events are already being taken.
- And to keep things in perspective, the same article above notes that of China’s roughly 45,000 confirmed cases, 81% had only mild symptoms that were successfully treated with home care. As Alex mentioned, the more severe cases tend to be among the elderly (60+) and those with preexisting lung conditions.
- Part of being well-informed means not being fooled by common myths about the virus.
Going Forward
We will continue to monitor the situation and make decisions with employee safety and health in mind. If you have any questions or concerns about how Simplifya is handling this situation, please let me know!
Thank you Rick!
Thanks, RM!