SARS-CoV-2 & OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS IN THE USA

Today, The Grandma has been reading about the latest news of SARS-CoV-2 in the USA, three years after the pandemia started. SARS-CoV-2 and its derivates continue being a potencial labour risk for milions of workers in the USA.

The risks from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), for workers depends on how extensively the virus spreads between people; the severity of resulting illness; pre-existing medical conditions workers may have; and the medical or other measures available to control the impact of the virus and the relative success of these measures. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides detailed information about this topic.

According to the CDC, certain people, including older adults and those with underlying conditions such as heart or lung disease or diabetes, are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19.

Classifying Risk of Worker Exposure to SARS-CoV-2

Worker risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 during a pandemic may depend in part on the industry type and the need for contact within 6 feet of people known to be, or suspected of being, infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Other factors, such as conditions in communities where employees live and work, their activities outside of work (including travel to COVID-19-affected areas), and individual health conditions, may also affect workers' risk of getting COVID-19 and/or developing complications from the illness.

OSHA has divided job tasks into four risk exposure levels: very high, high, medium, and lower risk, as shown in the occupational risk pyramid, below. The four exposure risk levels represent the probable distribution of risk. Most American workers will likely fall in the lower exposure risk (caution) or medium exposure risk levels.

Lower Exposure Risk (Caution)

Jobs that do not require contact with people known to be, or suspected of being, infected with SARS-CoV-2. Workers in this category have minimal occupational contact with the public and other coworkers. Examples include:

-Remote workers (those working from home during the pandemic).

-Office workers who do not have frequent close contact with coworkers, customers, or the public.

-Manufacturing and industrial facility workers who do not have frequent close contact with coworkers, customers, or the public.

-Healthcare workers providing only telemedicine services.

-Long-distance truck drivers.

Medium Exposure Risk

Jobs that require frequent/close contact with people who may be infected, but who are not known to have or suspected of having COVID-19. Workers in this category include:

-Those who may have frequent contact with travelers who return from international locations with widespread COVID-19 transmission.

-Those who may have contact with the general public (in schools, high population density work environments, and some high-volume retail settings).

High Exposure Risk

Jobs with a high potential for exposure to known or suspected sources of SARS-CoV-2. Workers in this category include:

-Healthcare delivery and support staff (hospital staff who must enter patients’ rooms) exposed to known or suspected COVID-19 patients.

-Medical transport workers (ambulance vehicle operators) moving known or suspected COVID-19 patients in enclosed vehicles.

-Mortuary workers involved in preparing bodies for burial or cremation of people known to have, or suspected of having, COVID-19 at the time of death.

Very High Exposure Risk

Jobs with a very high potential for exposure to known or suspected sources of SARS-CoV-2 during specific medical, postmortem, or laboratory procedures. Workers in this category include:

-Healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, dentists, paramedics, emergency medical technicians) performing aerosol-generating procedures (intubation, cough induction procedures, bronchoscopies, some dental procedures and exams, or invasive specimen collection) on known or suspected COVID-19 patients.

-Healthcare or laboratory personnel collecting or handling specimens from known or suspected COVID-19 patients (manipulating cultures from known or suspected COVID-19 patients).

-Morgue workers performing autopsies, which generally involve aerosol-generating procedures, on the bodies of people who are known to have, or are suspected of having, COVID-19 at the time of their death.

Guide to action for the prevention of occupational risk in the event of highly infectious dangerous biological agents in health facilities

Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving,

we get stronger and more resilient.

Steve Maraboli