COVID-19 Coronaviruses are a group of viruses. In humans, coronaviruses cause respiratory tract infections that are typically mild, such as some cases of the common cold, though rarer forms can be lethal.
COMMON SYMPTOMS AT ONSET OF ILLNESS (Huang et al study) [3] Fever 98% Cough 76% Myalgia (muscle pain) 44% or Fatigue LESS COMMON SYMPTOMS: Sputum production 28% (coughing up material) Headache 8% Haemoptysis 5% (coughing up blood) Diarrhea 3
Statistics as at 15 March ► ► ► ► ►
Important facts 80% of cases are mild ► Based on all 72,314 cases of COVID-19 confirmed, ► suspected, and asymptomatic cases in China as of, a paper by the Chinese CCDC released on February 17 and published 80.9% of infections are mild (with flu-like symptoms) ► and can recover at home . 13.8% are severe , developing severe diseases ► including pneumonia and shortness of breath . 4.7% as critical and can include: respiratory failure , ► septic shock , and multi-organ failure . in about 2% of reported cases the virus is fatal. ► Risk of death increases the older you are. ► Relatively few cases are seen among children ►
Immediate actions for Employers A register at the office, for employees and visitors to disclose whether they 1. have: Travelled in the past 21 days A. Whether they have been in contact with persons infected with the virus or B. persons with COVID 19 symptoms Had their health status checked after returning from travel C. 2. Employees consulting needs to have their client/s complete a declaration form: Where they have travelled to A. Who they visited B. The date C.
Immediate actions for Employers 3. Avoid training in locations close to the airport / high risk environments/locations 4. Consulting/Meetings setup via skype/ tele-conferencing rather than having contact meetings 5. Keep masks readily available for staff/yourself 6. Posters/Training to be put up to create awareness for staff and visitors 7. Work from home where reasonably possible
Immediate actions for Employers 7. Deny admission of persons suspected to be a risk (in accordance with the OHS Act) 8. A policy to be drafted on the COVID-19 and a disaster team or OHS Committee to be established with the following rationale: Task team to enforce and implement a disaster plan established by the A. committee Standard Operating Procedures(SOP): Should someone contract the virus, B. what are the steps to follow to contain it(isolation room, exits discussed with building manager, disinfecting etc.) Have the committee trained C.
Immediate actions for Employers 9. WHO offers online courses on COVID-19, encourage staff to complete the training – ‘Infection, prevention and control of the Corona Virus’. 10. Find out from your medical aid if they cover and stay abreast with communication from them regarding the Corona virus 11. Keep disinfectant wipes and a greater than 60% alcohol-based sanitizer available at the office or if not available to use a solution of 20% bleach and 80% water to wash hands and wash down surfaces
Quick fixes Disinfecting of handles ► Sanitizer to be placed around the office ► Hand soap in bathroom must be checked and filled ► regularly Working group to be established for ongoing updates ► Marketing: Awareness, Posters to be put up around the ► office and sent out Avoid physical contact such as handshakes (have a no ► offence policy) Use disposable breathalyzers ► Use thermal scanners to scan for individuals with high ► temperatures get them tested if higher than normal temperatures . It cannot detect people who are infected but are not yet sick with a fever (2-10 days) Let staff use sanitizer before using the biometrics ►
Quick fixes, Contd ► Relieve positions should have a policy e.g Drivers, Receptionists or machine operators – Spaces have to be cleaned before being used by someone else ► Lift buttons/ATM’s – use tissue and discard afterwards
OHS ACT ► The OHS Act is very prescriptive and should be used as a guideline on how to deal with transferable diseases. ► Section 8, 9, 13 & 14 – imposes a duty on the employer to ensure employees are safe and for employees to ensure that they take care of their health and those around them. ► If a health and safety committee is established – risk assessments can be performed and steps to mitigate the risk as well as remedial action can be looked into.
INCREASED RISK EXPOSURE Exposure risk may be increased for some workers who interact with potentially infected travelers from abroad, including those involved in: Healthcare ► Deathcare ► Laboratories ► Airline operations ► Border protection ► Solid waste and wastewater management ► Travel to areas, including parts of China, where the virus is ► spreading Travelling by public transport ►
Are there any medicines to treatment for the Coronavirus ► To date there is NO specific medicine to prevent or treat the Coronavirus; ► Treatments are under investigation but there is nothing yet.
What SA is currently doing ► There are dedicated staff working exclusively on Coronavirus. ► Provinces have also activated outbreak response teams. ► Hospitals in all provinces have been equipped and are prepared to receive potential Coronavirus cases. ► The department announced the following hospitals as centres for isolation and treatment of people infected with Coronavirus: ► Polokwane Hospital in Limpopo
What SA is currently doing ► Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, Steve Biko Hospital and Tembisa Hospitals in Gauteng ► Grey's Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal ► Klerksdorp Hospital in the North West ► Kimberly Hospital in the Northern Cape ► Pelonomi Hospital in the Free State ► Livingstone Hospital in the Eastern Cape ► Tygerberg Hospital in the Western Cape
President Ramaphosa: Address ► School's to be closed on 18th ► Travel Ban on flights and ports ► Anybody who visited high risk areas (Europe/Asia) are required to go for testing ► No events/meetings/gatherings bigger than 100 people
Economic Outlook ► To this end, the NDOH has made available very useful material, specifically developed for the workplace, which member companies can use to put up and distribute to employees. ► https://we.tl/t-KEt4ISBxAk ► BUSA remains vigilant around the Economic and Business risks that the virus presents to the South African Economy, particularly off the back of the recent disappointing last quarter GDP numbers. The COVID-19 outbreak could not have come at a worse time for both global and South African markets.
Economic Outlook, Contd We are therefore of the view that in these difficult and ► complex times, opportunities present in particular for our country to use this crisis to develop further Policy certainty (that will hasten recovery and boost confidence), to fix our energy mix and to use vulnerable global supply chains to build further domestic capacity; particularly in manufacturing, with a view to ensuring current ► and future strategic stockpiles when market uncertainties present. Lastly, as we navigate this outbreak and its potential public ► health and economic impacts, we use this opportunity to call for leadership and ongoing vigilance to contain the outbreak, as the best way to ensure early economic recovery and mitigation of the
BUSA will be meeting with the Minister of Health and his team, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the SA WHO Representative next week to see how we can further collaborate to contain the outbreak We are in contact with our member companies / organizations that supply critical goods and services such as Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices and will flag any concerns during this period whilst supply chains remain vulnerable. Given the high infection rates of HIV and TB in our country, potentially both vulnerable groups, ensuring the security of supply of HIV (ARV) and TB medicines is critical to preventing the domestic spread of the virus. At this point there are no Red flags. We will continue to update members on an ongoing basis.
National Institute for Communicable Disesases ► 011 386 6400 Contact for Health Department Coronavirus ► Support 060 012 3456 (whatsapp) ►
THANK YOU
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