COVID-19, aka the novel Coronavirus, made its debut in the final days of December 2019 and provoked havoc throughout the world. It is the only calamity that most people alive today have faced together, and how! Before we knew anything about it, the fatal virus went on from country to country, infecting thousands at a time.
The world came to a standstill – entire nations went under lockdown- industries, offices, and schools shut, markets closed, and hospitals flooded with patients. The ever-zestful humans soon found a way to work and entertain themselves, persevering through the toughest of times
After working from home for almost two years now, we have slowly and carefully started crawling back outside. All businesses and hospitality services are doing their best to keep everything sanitized and safe for us. Nevertheless, there are many things that we should (not) do to keep ourselves from catching the deadly virus.
May it is public transport, a shared cab, a government office, your own office, or even a co-working space – nothing can be ‘too sanitized’ for us now.
There are a few basic preventative measures to be taken given the harrowing two years that we have faced-
Even though we now have a few vaccines that help strengthen our immunity, there’s nothing that ‘definitely’ protects us from the virus. Here’s a handy list you can put up in your office or even forward to your HR and Sanitize everything at regular intervals.
Coronavirus spreads mainly through contaminated surfaces. If an employee or customer touches these surfaces after an infected person has touched them, they are susceptible to Covid-19.
Set a reminder in your phone or assign someone to sanitize surfaces like desks, tables, mobile phones, monitors, keyboards, doorknobs, printers, etc., with a disinfectant at regular intervals.
1. Wash your hands.
It’s that easy. It may be a deadly virus, but we’re the ones with highly functional brains. Simply washing your hands multiple times throughout the day can kill the virus. Install soaps, hand wash, and alcohol-based sanitizer dispensers at prominent places in the office.
Employees must also wash hands upon entering the office, before they start working, before and after a meal, in between meetings, before and after using printers and other equipment, and lastly, before leaving the office – there’s no way you can wash your hands too many times.
2. Re-organize your workplace.
Rearrange the furniture in your office so that all employees are at least 5-6 feet away from each other. You can also have a dedicated corner for employees who are sneezing or coughing, which brings us to the very next –
3. If unwell, rest.
It could be just an allergic reaction or viral infection, but it’s best to stay at home if you have symptoms of Covid-19. Coronavirus spreads through respiratory droplets released while sneezing or coughing. If sick employees must attend work, they should have a doctor’s thumbs up to do so.
4. Wear that mask!
All employees must wear a mask at all times while in the office. This virus enters your body through the respiratory system, i.e. your nose and mouth. Wear a mask so that you don’t keep thinking about not touching your face all the time.
5. Avoid business trips and in-person meetings.
Taxis, planes, hotels, or anything else- stepping into new spaces unnecessarily is not the best idea at the moment. Whatever can be should be achieved virtually. If a client needs you to visit their office just for meetings, politely deny and suggest a Zoom or Google Meet time to get on a call, saving you the traveling time and keeping you safe.
6. Work from home.
Almost all firms are now offering the option to work from home. If your job doesn’t require you to be in the office at all times, consider working from home for most of the week. You can pop into the office just for a day or so.
7. Prepare a Response Plan.
Preparing when things are good makes it easy when things aren’t. Have an emergency response plan ready in case of sick employees. If you notice anyone with the symptoms of Covid-19, keep a separate room to isolate them. Have a certified medical professional brief everyone in the office about procedures and isolation measures when dealing with a potentially infected person.
Remember to stay calm. Panicking will make things seem a lot more complicated than they are. Follow the preventative measures and the plan that you have in place. Better days will come.
