Post COVID: Some good habits to carry forward 

As the winter season approaches, the news is filled with stories and statistics about the “tripledemic,” rising cases of three communicable respiratory infections – the flu, COVID-19, and RSV, which primarily affects children. While RSV has always carried a high risk of severe illness for premature infants, children under the age of 2 and children with chronic conditions, for most people it typically causes only a mild, cold-like illness. However, this year it is not only hitting the pediatric population harder than usual, but is also proving to be more problematic for more people.

More than three-quarters of pediatric hospital beds nationwide are at capacity and at a decade-level high. Some states are reporting more than 90 percent of pediatric beds are occupied. Similarly, seniors are being hospitalized at higher rates for respiratory illnesses. The high hospitalization rate is related the high number of individuals catching one of these three contagious viral infections.

Individual actions to reduce virus transmission

How can we individually protect ourselves and reduce the chance of catching – and passing on – any of these infections? The best first step is to get a seasonal flu vaccine and the latest COVID vaccine, which offers protection against the dominant Omicron variant. There is no vaccine for RSV. However, we can still use the personal hygiene practices we adopted to slow the spread of COVID and other respiratory viruses to protect ourselves and others now. Hand hygiene is an important way to reduce infections that are acquired by touching surfaces that can carry live virus. Similarly, if you are in close proximity with people showing signs and symptoms of respiratory infections, or if you are engaged with people in enclosed/confined space, wearing a N95/KN95 face mask can reduce the chance of catching any virus that is airborne.

Employees can make choices and take actions to mitigate their own risk of contracting infectious illness based on their underlying health status and risk; their comfort level with risk mitigation steps; and the social context – office, cubicle, conference room, restaurant, auditorium, etc. In this post-COVID era, it is more acceptable and even expected that individuals have the freedom and support to stay home if feeling ill. It will help them in their recovery and keep their coworkers from catching whatever they have.

If any individual is uncomfortable with their perception of risk, they should feel comfortable to excuse themselves and take action to reduce their risk, without fear of judgement. For example, it’s fine to politely decline handshakes or greeting hugs when we are starting to not feel well or see others not looking well.

How employers can support prevention and self-care

Here are some simple steps for employers to take that will encourage healthy behaviors:

• Help individuals take their own safety precautions on a voluntary basis, for example by making hand sanitizer available in pantries and restrooms and providing N95/KN95 mask at entry points to building or office suites
• Communicate tips for reducing the risk of transmitting any infectious disease
  • Stay home and quarantine if symptomatic with infection illness
  • In public, reduce the risk of exposure or transmission through social distancing, hand washing, coughing/sneezing into the elbow, wipe down shared surfaces, masking
• Establish policies, procedures and accommodation for employees with symptoms of infectious illness to stay and work from home
• Create a supportive environment in which no one feels pressured to conform one way or the other, acknowledging that risk tolerance varies and emphasizing personal responsibility
• Encourage employees to take advantage of employer-sponsored health benefits for preventative care related to all types of infectious disease prevention:
  • Scheduled vaccinations (Tetanus, Pneumovax, Varicella, Shingles, Meningitis, etc.)
  • Seasonal vaccination (flu, COVID)