A Doctor's Tips on How to Avoid COVID-19 Infections at Work

The MCO 2.0 is not the same as the previous MCO, in the sense that many workplaces are operating as usual. If you're working in an MCO state, the risk is higher than ever, and we cannot afford to take the pandemic lightly. 

Based on an article written by an infectious disease physician, we have outlined ways to make the workplace a safer place to conduct our operations and reduce the risk of acquiring COVID-19 at work. 

 

1. Personal infection prevention

In the original article, Dr Michael Edmond mentioned that it is best to wear nothing on our forearms, including wrist jewellery and wristwatches. This method will prevent contamination of sleeves and allows us to perform good hand hygiene. 

If you do not want to contaminate your clothing, you can minimise the risk by not wearing coats and jackets. You can also get rid of neckties as they always touch the surroundings and are rarely cleaned. If you must wear one, then tuck it in your shirt. Also, roll up the sleeves if you wear a long sleeve shirt. 

Always remember to perform hand hygiene as if your life depends on it and avoid touching your face.

 

2. Workspace 

If you're working in a small workspace, you need to think about practising social distancing in small spaces. You can try bringing your laptop to work and try working in another room to reduce the number of people in the workspace.

HR needs to remember to declutter the workspace so the cleaners can sanitise all the surfaces. They will not be able to do this when there's clutter everywhere. 

Remember to wipe down your workspace before using it and avoid sharing food. 

Make sure your employees are practising social distancing.

3. Protective equipment

We should probably get used to face masks by now. Some wonder if they should wear two layers of face mask. According to research, if you are wearing a home-made cloth face mask, you should probably wear a minimum of two layers to restrict the dispersal of viral droplets from the nose and mouth associated with the spread of COVID-19. 

Many people still make mistakes when wearing face masks. These are the mistakes one should avoid while wearing a face mask:

1. They're wearing a mask that only covers the mouth and not the nose.

2. They're wearing a mask that is too loose.

3. They keep touching their mask.

4. They're taking off their mask the wrong way. Please don't touch the front of the mask, instead, hold it by the ear loops or ties. 

5. They're not properly cleaning their face mask. You can wash home-made cloth masks in the washing machine.

 

4. Travel

Social distancing is mandatory. In some workplaces, workers tend to travel in packs, and this needs to stop. Avoid congregating in the hallways and if possible, take the stairs instead of elevators.

 

5. What to do if you become ill

If one of your employees has a fever or symptoms, they cannot come to work. If the employee starts to feel sick at work, remove them from the workplace as soon as possible and direct them to see a medical practitioner.

Your workplace should have an infrared thermometer to check the employees' temperature to ensure they are not ill. 

 

Please take care of yourself and your employees during this challenging time. Let us do everything we can to stay healthy and productive.

 

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