We have been receiving questions about employee health and safety guidelines regarding COVID-19. Here is some information to help with commonly asked questions.
If you have a question not mentioned, please reach out to us at info@accesscompliance.net!
When should your employees be tested for COVID? The CDC recommends testing if a person has symptoms or has been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case. Some workplaces may choose to test all employees if they are in close contact with one another and transmission rate is high.
What protocol should be followed for employees with potential COVID symptoms? If an employee has symptoms potentially of COVID, but a negative test, the decision should be made based upon symptoms that are present. If the symptoms have an alternative explanation with a negative test, and were transient, it is reasonable to allow return to work. If the worker is still symptomatic, they should remain out of work, as is typically the case. Retesting can be done if symptoms continue to have a high level of suspicion for COVID. The CDC no longer suggests that an employer require a negative COVID test or doctors note to return to work. If employee's test comes back positive: CDC guidelines relating to this can be found here: Disposition of Non-Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 | CDC
What about quarantine periods before returning to work? "Discontinuing Home Isolation for Persons with COVID-19: Accumulating evidence supports ending isolation and precautions for persons with COVID-19 using a symptom-based strategy. Specifically, researchers have reported that people with mild to moderate COVID-19 remain infectious no longer than 10 days after their symptoms began, and those with more severe illness or those who are severely immunocompromised remain infectious no longer than 20 days after their symptoms began. Therefore, CDC has updated the recommendations for discontinuing home isolation as follows: Persons with COVID-19 who have symptoms and were directed to care for themselves at home may discontinue isolation under the following conditions: · At least 10 days* have passed since symptom onset and · At least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and · Other symptoms have improved. *A limited number of persons with severe illness may produce replication-competent virus beyond 10 days, that may warrant extending duration of isolation for up to 20 days after symptom onset. Consider consultation with infection control experts. See Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Disposition of Patients with COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings (Interim Guidance). Persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 who never develop COVID-19 symptoms may discontinue isolation and other precautions 10 days after the date of their first positive RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 RNA." Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Disposition of Patients with COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings (Interim Guidance) | CDC
Testing when traveling internationally: There are federal government guidelines and also guidelines issued by New York State regarding travel. For the most current guidelines from the CDC, visit: Testing and International Air Travel | CDC
Get tested 1-3 days before your flight.
Get tested 3-5 days after travel AND stay home for 7 days after travel.
Even if you test negative, stay home for the full 7 days.
If you don't get tested, it's safest to stay home for 10 days after travel.
Always follow state and local recommendations or requirements related to travel.
Delay your travel if you are waiting for test results.
(This is as of January 13th, 2021 from the CDC.)
Other useful links:
Guidance for Business and Employers Responding to COVID-19 (Updated January 4, 2021)
Access Compliance provides Serological Antibody Testing (SARS-CoV-2Antibody, IgG).
Serology testing should be used only for people who were diagnosed with COVID-19 or had symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and have been confirmed by a physician to have recovered. It may also be used in cases when an individual believes that they may have had COVID-19 in the past and need confirmation. FDA Disclaimer: · This test has not been reviewed nor approved by the FDA. · Negative result does not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection. Follow-up testing with a molecular diagnostic test should be considered to rule out infection. (By your family doctor) · This antibody test result should not be used as the sole basis to diagnose or exclude SARS-CoV-2 infection or to inform infection status. · Positive result may be due to past or present infection with non-SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strains, such as coronavirus HKU1, NL63, OC43, or 229E. If you are interested in scheduling this blood test, or have questions, please call us! We look forward to serving you.
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