Leaders are asking "Should I Screen My Employees?"
“Should I be screening my employees?” - whispered the CEO to herself quietly.
Many people are asking themselves what the best steps are to return to work.
The options seem endless.
Social Distancing
Plexiglass barriers
Personal Protective Equipment
Thermal Imaging
Testing (PCR, Antibody, Molecular)
Employee Screening
Working from home till 2021 (Classic Google)
Not returning at all, ever (Classic Twitter)
Each of these has its merits. And depending on your industry, work force, customers, and, appetite for risk. Your decisions may change, frankly with each day.
Over the past few weeks we have been talking to numerous business and community leaders. And asking them what they are planning to do to help keep their communities safe as we reopen America.
Here are a few take aways, tips and tactics that business leaders are deploying in their “back to work” strategies.
THERMOMETERS
It may soon become pretty common for people to be pointing a thermometer at your forehead before you do… well, anything. Sports. Work. School. Travel. You name it.
Quick Clinical Aside: The CDC defines a fever as a temperature of over 100.4 F or 38 C
Fever, or increasing your bodies temperature, is actually part of a healthy immune response. It help your body fight infection. And, in the case of COVID-19 can be one of the early signs for exposure. However, not that early. Fever, while present in the majority of cases often was not one of the earliest symptoms.
That doesn’t make it less valuable, temperature checks are a no contact, close proximity way to screen people before they come to work. However, is temperature enough to go on? I spoke to several of my friends, both surgeons, who are working at hospitals in the midwest. And I was surprised to find that both are at institutions that are more or less just doing temperature checks at the door. This is a start in the right direction. But, may we say, not enough.
Here is why . Human nature. The majority of us will lie to ourselves but not to others. Here is a personal example. A few weeks ago, I came home after a string of over night shifts and wearily rested my head on my hand. Chin to palm. And I felt a pang of pain. Not much. Just subtle. With two fingers, starting at the corner of my jaw, I felt along the under ridge of my jaw bone and along my trachea. And, yup, I had a 3-4 tender, swollen lymph nodes on the right (Submandibular, paratracheal - for the doctors in the audience) and another one, non-tender on the left.
I was like 99% positive this was not COVID-19.
“You’re fine I told myself".” I had the night off. I wasn’t going anywhere. I’d just wait it out. But then I realized I was doing what I hope people don’t do when they walk into the hospital, or anywhere else. Telling themselves, “it’s probably nothing” and that “I’ve been careful”.
One of the symptoms for COVID-19 is a sore throat. And had I been walking into work, a coffee shop, or the grocery store, with the very common mindset (hope) that “I am fine” then with just a temperature check. I would’ve sailed on by.
There is something about when someone or something asks you point blank. “Are you having a sore throat?” It makes you pause. Think. “Yes, yes I am” and then you have a choice. Do I tell the truth? Or do I lie?
It’s easy to lie to yourself. It’s harder to lie to others.
This is what screening relies on. The human nature (nurture) that you should tell the truth.
I finally stopped lying to myself. Called occupational health. For the record even they were on the fence with my symptoms. “I guess.. technically it’s a sore throat.” They said. “More like a sore neck” I replied. But we were on the same page. I was going to get tested. I did. It sucked. My brain still hurts (that’s a joke). I was negative. Phew.
All that to say. Keep checking temps. But I suggest screening as well.
SOCIAL DISTANCING & MASKS
I am pretty sure there is nothing that I can tell you about social distancing that you don’t already know. If you’re thinking it isn’t necessary. Watch this:
PROTECTIVE BARRIERS
Solid barriers between work stations can definitely decrease exposure. But eventually we all venture from our bastions of safety into the common places and spaces around the office, factory, plant or shop. Or, worse, others venture into our protected space.
Barriers help provide a visual reminder that there is an invisible risk to us all.
Reminders change human behavior. Alarms. Timers. Push Notifications. Pings. “Uh Ohs” (yes that is an ICQ reference) they all help remind us that something else is happening.
I’ve found myself falling back into old routines. Listening to James Blake on the way to work. Getting out of the car. Walking to the hospital. But then I’m met by the unusual site of signs and people waiting at the door. And am reminded. “Oh right, COVID”
These screens help patients, visitors, professionals, and communities “check in” and reframe the way that they approach the work day. Am I safe? Am I keeping others safe?
SCREENING
“My CEO called me and said we need this” - Healthcare Leader
The anonymous health care leader above was talking about the screening app released by United Health and Microsoft. We will be reviewing it soon if we can get past the darn log in screen.
This about sums up how we are feeling about it.
But hoping we can get through and check it out.
Full disclosure, Welfie is launching its own screening app. And if you are wondering why we are mentioning our “competitors”. We aren’t. We see every screening app, telehealth platform, testing service not as competition but collaborators.
Login screen problems aside. We champion apps in the screening space because they are needed. Screening and Testing will be cornerstones of the “Back To Work” strategy.
At Welfie we are preaching these essential steps to “Return to Work”
Teaching - with our physician led content and platform you can prevent the spread of COVID-19. We teach the tenants of health, hygiene and wellness to your work force. Tracking the completion and understanding of our COVID-19 course.
Tracking - Screen employees daily and track symptoms across your company.
Testing - Whether you decide to test your employees or require they get tested. Testing, and the reporting of the results. Should be part of your strategy. We offer FDA approved tests and CLIA certified labs.
Telehealth - We’ve got the doctors and nurses ready to care for your employees should they test positive or have any worrying symptoms
Tracing - Tracing the exposure and contacts, should one of your employees test positive is important to protecting the health of your community
Screening is an important part of tracking the health of your business. And as you focus on that, let us focus on the health of your employees.
If you’re interested in a demo of our screening app, tracking platform and prevention services. Book a time to chat with us here.