While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, cases have decreased in many parts of the world that experienced total lockdown due to the overwhelming surge of infections. In places where the curve has been successfully flattened, case numbers that could have otherwise skyrocketed if an imposed quarantine hadn’t taken place have begun to stabilize.
The virus isn’t gone, and things are still wildly different. But with many economies opening back up, safety precautions must be taken to ensure that further waves of the outbreak don’t occur.
How can I ensure my business is safe to open when lockdown ends?
Many might assume that because lockdowns are lifting, the COVID-19 problem has seemingly gone away. But the risk of spread is still there, and cases have only decreased because lockdowns were in place. That means that the virus is still making the rounds – it just had less of an opportunity to spread through communities unchecked.
It’s not as simple as just returning to business as usual, even if it’s deemed safe to reopen doors. The precautions that are most important during reopening include:
- Maintaining physical distancing measures.
- Wearing masks to avoid the spread of the disease.
- Regularly washing hands with soap and water, especially if you come into contact with any public surfaces.
- Making sure employees are healthy via regular testing and screening.
- Implementing new disinfection methods throughout businesses.
If you are doing everything you can to help keep your business, employees, and patrons COVID-free, it’s likely the spread of the virus will continue to decrease. Jumping the gun, however, could spell disaster for your community. Things like allowing too many customers or employees in at once, failing to undertake proper cleaning measures, and playing fast and loose with mask rules are all things that can cause problems.
Where to get serology testing for coronavirus
The first step to reopening has to be testing for employees. If you skip this step and an employee with the virus returns to work, it can be spread to others easily. This will lead to further cases of illness and closures in the future that could have been be avoided.
The good news is that serology testing is available. Infectolab has recently coined a specific serology test that will help give companies and people access to the proper testing. The COVID-19 test from Infectolab is able to accurately and quickly diagnose a case of COVID-19 by using the IgA and IgG antibodies after they’ve formed following an infection. The test is an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay, and is done using blood drawn from a possibly infected person.
Serology testing for staff during SARS-CoV-2
The Infectolab test needs to be done through a medical provider, which means that many medical facilities around the country are now able to participate in more testing because of its availability. The accuracy of Infectolab’s test, along with its quick 24–48-hour turnaround time for results, makes it a top choice for employers looking to get their employees tested. This gives them the opportunity to open their doors in the safest manner possible.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employers have the right to take employees’ temperatures prior to allowing them to return to work. When it comes to a serology test such as Infectolab’s specific COVID-19 test, the rules are a little less clear. Generally speaking, any type of forced medical testing has been illegal unless it is absolutely necessary and related to the job at hand. In the case of COVID-19, implementing mandatory testing could be seen as directly related to public health and the safety of other employees, but as yet no laws have been passed requiring employees to get a serology test before returning to work.
Other safety precautions needed to protect staff and patrons
As mentioned above, standard safety precautions will need to be taken to help limit the spread within businesses. Places with close quarters, such as restaurants or retail stores, will have to take things a step further to protect their staff and patrons. Any employee showing signs of illness or infection should leave the premises immediately and seek out testing. Other employees who may have been in close contact with said person will also have to monitor for symptoms and get tested.
Limiting the number of patrons in an establishment so that social distancing rules can remain in effect is very important in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 when lockdown ends. It may not be easy, but taking these specific precautions can give everyone a fighting chance against another spike in cases, potentially saving lives in the process.
Image by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
