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Every little step counts, reducing the risk of infection.
In the autumn and winter period, a further increase in the number of cases can be expected, so preparation and epidemiological control are especially important: read the introduction to the document called the Corporate White Paper. They emphasize that in terms of the functioning of society and the national economy it would have been desirableso as not to require strict and durable spring-like central restraints.
However, avoiding core restrictions is only possible if everyone contributes to the defense with their own means, experts say.
They also note that “if adequate precautions are taken to prevent at least half of the transmission of infections, a larger epidemic could be avoided. But if only one in 10 infections is prevented, a significantly smaller epidemic would occur,” they wrote.
The purpose of this material is to help businesses and non-health-related organizations prepare for the next wave of COVID-19. The guide draws the attention of economic operators to the fact that the situation with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to go beyond the scope of their current business crisis management and business continuity plans, and therefore, Specific pandemic preparedness plans are recommended. However, this guide does not have the direct objective of providing methodological support for the maintenance of economic and financial stability, it focuses only on the discussion of epidemiological aspects – the document prepared by 13 experts affirms.
Experts believe that the coronavirus epidemic can be controlled in Hungary if
- plan protection measures in a coordinated manner,
- individual and community action is taken in a timely manner,
- measures are properly combined and applied in a disciplined manner,
- and other groups in society and society work together properly.
The guide helps all small, medium and large companies in Hungary to ensure continuous and safe operation even during the coronavirus.
According to a statement from the Ministry, László György, ITM’s Secretary of State for Economic Strategy and Regulation, said the book provides examples of measures that companies can take in the second phase of the coronavirus epidemic to maintain their operations. He added that the government’s most important goal is to protect the health of Hungarians, which is also essential for the functioning of the economy.
The current phase we are in can last at least 1 year
The document also presents the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to which we distinguish 4 phases of the pandemic. The White Paper is the current II. refers to a phase that, as they write,
To the best of our knowledge and belief, it will last for at least one year.
Of which II. The phase can only be advanced if there is a sufficient quantity of vaccine for mass vaccination or if drug therapy is already available.
What have we learned so far?
The analysis takes stock of the lessons that can be learned from workplace epidemics identified during the first wave of epidemics. For this, reference is made to a survey carried out by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control in July: 17 of the 30 countries contacted participated in the research. During the first wave of epidemics, a total of 1,377 accumulations / occupational epidemics were reported in the 17 countries surveyed, involving 18,198 people.
Based on these, important risk factors have been identified that play a role in the development of epidemics in the workplace.
In general, they stand out:
- 95% of the epidemics occurred indoors (dominant spread: with droplets in the respiratory tract, but aerosol formation also plays a role);
- Lack of adequate physical distance further increases the risk of spread;
- There are jobs where physical distance is not resolved. On the one hand, the physical presence in the workplace is inevitable and, on the other hand, close contact during work;
- A critical factor is the presence of a symptomatic employee in the workplace and close contact with him or her without the use of a mask;
- Omission or improper use of the mask; According to one study, even community use of non-medical masks can significantly reduce the risk of infection by an average of 56%.
What can we do?
The research team then developed a framework to help companies develop their own pandemic plan. It basically consists of three phases: preparation and planning, risk reduction and prevention and maintenance of continuous operation. (We highlight just a few of these items below, the full plan can be read here.)
In the preparation phase it is explained that working from home is an effective way to reduce the number of contacts at work, however, working from home is not a real option for most employees. Thus, in addition to allowing you to work from home, it is vital that other measures are taken to protect those who do their work at work. There are several good practices in the White Paper for these as well.
In the risk reduction phase, it is established, among other things, that the spread of COVID-19 is further facilitated if workers do not consistently adhere to preventive (hygienic) personal protection measures. Experts have established a hierarchy of measures that shows that everyone has a role and responsibility in advocacy.
The book also lists tools for hygiene rules, cleanliness of the work environment and the guarantee of physical distance. For the latter, practical tips include making work or telework hours more flexible, modifying the work area (increasing the physical space between employees, for example an empty office desk), and kontaktusbuborékokat. The point of a contact bubble is that we maintain close contact with very few people and always with them (for example, a smaller and permanent group of co-workers). Maintain a distance of 1.5-2m from everyone else and wear the mask consistently if close contact is unavoidable. Mutual agreement is important to maintain the limits of the contact bubble. The ideal contact bubble is on the order of up to 10 people. If someone is in a particular contact bubble, they cannot move to another, thus controlling the spread of a possible infection; when someone gets sick, the limits of spread become clear. When using contact bubbles, it is also important to think about employee contact during shifts.
However, what is extremely useful about the 40-page document is that it shows specific cases from around the world of how the coronavirus has spread in some workplaces. Instructive examples start on page 31 and we can also find positive examples. It is really recommended for anyone who wants to get serious about protecting against coronavirus as an employer or simply as an employee. Because, as the experts highlight at the beginning of the document:
everyone can protect themselves against the spread of the virus on their own.
Top image: Soldiers dressed in chemical protective clothing disinfect a bus during epidemiological deployment unit practice in the Kútvölgyi block of New St. John’s Hospital and Clinic in the North-Central Center of Buda, August 27, 2020. in Budapest. Source: MTI / Zoltán Balogh
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