Action Plan for COVID-19 Exposure in the Workplace
Close off areas visited by the person who is a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19.
- Verify with the employee’s supervisor and Access Control all areas visited by the employee or student.
- Work with Public Safety and Facilities Operations to restrict access to all areas.
- Post a notice at entrances.
- Change lock cores
- Disable electronic access.
- Wait a minimum of 24 hours, or as long as practical, before cleaning and disinfection.
- After at least 24 hours, Facilities will clean and disinfect with vital oxide using an electrostatic sprayer.
- Disinfection shall occur in all areas accessed by the ill person, including offices, bathrooms, break rooms, conference or training rooms, dining facilities, and other common areas, and to all equipment used by the ill person, including shared electronic equipment, tablets, touch screens, keyboards, etc.
- After disinfecting, reopen all areas.
There may be adjustments to this plan if this occurs in areas such as residence halls and some work areas like Public Safety that require consistent coverage, but this procedure should work for most areas on campus.
Implement contact tracing.
- Employees who have symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, shortness of breath) should notify their supervisor and stay home. Supervisors should immediately report this information to their division head and Bailey Health Center.
- Employees who are well but have someone at home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor.
- In coordination with HR, the health center, and department management, identify all employees who were in close contact (within 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes) with the individual with the probable or confirmed COVID-19 case.
- Information on persons who had contact with the ill employee when they had symptoms and two days prior to symptoms will be compiled.
- Provide email and/or written notification to all identified employees who were in close contact.
- All affected employees will be instructed to follow the procedures listed below that are based on the CDC’s Public Health Recommendations for Community-Related Exposure.
- Stay home until 14 days after last exposure and maintain distance (at least 6 feet) from others at all times
- Self-monitor for symptoms.
- Check your temperature twice a day.
- Watch for fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
- Avoid contact with people at higher risk for severe illness (unless they live in the same home and had same exposure).
- Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.
Symptom & Temperature Monitoring Guideline
To comply with provisions of Gov. Wolf’s Safety Order of April 6, 2020, it may become necessary to implement targeted employee symptom and temperature screening each day upon arriving at work. This would only be required if there was a confirmed COVID-19 case in your work area. Should you learn directly from an employee that they have tested positive, please contact Dr. Jeff Goldstein at (610) 330-5001. He will initiate the contact tracing protocol and provide further guidance on the employee screenings conducted for at least 14 days after an exposure.
Each department or work area will designate one point of entry and will select one individual (preferably a supervisor) who will be trained to screen each employee entering the workspace using a thermal (no-touch) thermometer.
First, the screener will ask each employee to answer a few COVID-19 symptom-related questions. Second, the screener will take each employee’s temperature using a no-contact thermometer. This information will not be recorded.
Should any employee exhibit an initial temperature of 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, a secondary temperature will be taken a few minutes later to confirm the initial scan.
If the secondary scan confirms a fever of 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, or if the employee exhibits COVID-19 symptoms, they will be sent home immediately.
What to do if you have a fever or symptoms of COVID-19
- Stay home. Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home without medical care. Do not leave your home, except to get medical care. Do not visit public areas.
- Take care of yourself. Get rest and stay hydrated. Take over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen, to help you feel better.
- Stay in touch with your doctor. Call before you get medical care. Be sure to get care if you have trouble breathing, or have any other emergency warning signs, or if you think it is an emergency.
- Separate yourself from other people
- As much as possible, stay in a specific room and away from other people and pets in your home. If possible, use a separate bathroom. If you need to be around other people or animals in or outside the home, wear a cloth face covering.
In all cases, follow the guidance of your doctor. The decision to stop home isolation should be made in consultation with your healthcare provider and state and local health departments. Some people, for example those with conditions that weaken their immune system, might continue to shed virus even after they recover.
Instructions for Employees with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19
- Confirmed COVID-19 or suspected presumed positive individuals are to contact their supervisor and Bailey Health Center, self-isolate, receive care, and should not return to work until it is safe.
- No fever for at least 72 hours off all fever-reducing medications (i.e., acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc.).
- Resolution or almost total resolution of respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath). Indicators of this include:
- Ability to take 3 deep breaths without coughing
- Ability to climb a flight of steps (10 to 12) without significantly more shortness of breath than the person’s usual baseline
- No coughing during a 5-minute conversation
- Fatigue or any other symptoms beyond mild residual will require a greater period of home recovery time
- At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
- If suspected, a negative COVID-19 test is required to return to work earlier.
- A note from your personal health care provider. Your healthcare provider can help determine an individualized return-to-work date as isolation periods may vary based on different circumstances.
- Employees who have had close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 person should notify their supervisor and Human Resources, remain at home for 14 days, and actively monitor symptoms.
- Employees who are well but who have a family member at home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor and Human Resources and stay home.