Miss the COVID-19 Workplace Town Hall LIVE event?  No worries!  We have highlighted several of the questions and answers, provided by Dr. Scott Cherry, Axiom Medical’s Chief Medical Officer.

Returning to Work

Question:  Mark asked, “If a person tests positive for COVID-19, when are they cleared to return to work?”

Answer:  You want to utilize a two-tiered approach, including both:

• Symptom-free for a 72-hour time period, and
• Must wait to return for a 7-day period from when the symptoms started.

Multiple Illnesses

Question:  Alan asked, “Is it possible to have flu or step throat along with COVID-19?”

Answer:  Yes, there is a high potential for co-infection.

N95 Respirators

Question:  Gary asked, “If an employee brings in their own N95 respirator as COVID-19 protection, but they haven’t been fit-tested and the mask is not required for their job function, am I required by OSHA to tell the employee they may not use it?”

Answer:  This would fall under the voluntary use, as addressed by OSHA.  While the employee may use the N95, they should be given basic training/education to ensure they understand they may not be protected from exposure, should they enter a hazardous area.

Temperature Pre-Work Screening

Question:  Shawn asked, “I am an HSSE Coordinator and looking at taking temperatures of employees before they are allowed to work.  What is the recommended temperature that would be considered a fever for COVID-19 screening?”

Answer:  An elevated temperature does not necessarily indicate fever.  Fever is defined as a temperature greater than 100.5.

COVID-19 Pre-existing Conditions

Question:  Monica asked, “Can you explain pre-existing conditions and how they are associated with COVID-19?”

Answer:  COVID-19 is a new disease and there is limited information regarding risk factors for severe disease. However, based on currently available information from places such as China, Italy, and clinical expertise, older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.  High-risk conditions might include, but are not limited to:

• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Chronic lung disease

Additional Questions

The questions don’t end here!  Check out the on-demand recording of COVID-19 Town Hall Live here.

Do you have a question you would like to have answered?  Email us at coronavirus@axiomllc.com.  Looking for more coronavirus (COVID-19) resources, check out our webpage for more information about Axiom’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Program.