Managing Your Employees' Symptoms

What Symptoms Should I Be Watching For?

Patients with confirmed infection from the COVID-19 virus reported these respiratory symptoms:

• Fever (not always present).
• Difficulty breathing/Shortness of breath.
• Cough.

Other possible coronavirus symptoms of COVID-19 include:

• Sore throat.
• Body aches.
• Diarrhea.
• Tiredness.

Symptoms can range in severity from very mild to severe. In about 80% of patients, COVID-19 causes only mild symptoms.

When should someone be tested for COVID-19?

Call your healthcare provider if you:

• Feel sick with fever, cough or have difficulty breathing.
• Have been in close contact with a person known or suspected to have COVID-19.
• Live in or recently traveled from an area with ongoing active spread or for which there are travel alerts.

Your healthcare provider will ask you questions about your symptoms and recent travel history. Your healthcare provider will tell you if you need to be tested for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 and where to go to be tested.

What Should I Do If My Employee Has Symptoms?

How do I handle an employee who has symptoms or becomes ill at work?

Follow these steps if one of your employees begins having suspected COVID-19 symptoms or feels ill during the work day:

• Immediately separate the employee who is ill from other workers, customers and visitors.
• Send the employee home.
  • View CDC's 10 Things You Can Do to Manage Your Symptoms at Home
• Close off all areas that the ill employee was using.
• Refer to the CDC guidance for cleaning and disinfecting your building when someone is sick.

What should I do if an employee has been exposed to someone who has COVID-19?

Follow these procedures for employees who have been exposed to someone but don't have symptoms:

• Screen all of your employees for temperature and symptoms when they arrive at work each day.
• Perform regular self-monitoring as outlined by your occupational health program.
• Have all employees wear a face mask in the workplace for 14 days from the date of the exposure.
• Maintain social distance guidelines of at least 6 feet from others in the workplace.
• Disinfect and clean works spaces, especially shared spaces and equipment.
• If the employee becomes sick during the day, they should be immediately sent home.

How Do I Begin Screening Employees?

Temperature Checks

The CDC recommends screening your employees by:

1. Having employees take their temperature before coming to work, or when they arrive.
   • Confirming their temperature is less than 100.4ºF (38.0ºC).
   • Confirming they're not coughing or experiencing shortness of breath.
   • Looking for signs of illness, which could include flushed cheeks and/or fatigue.
   • Maintaining at least 6 feet distance between the person taking the temperature and the employee.
2. Following recommended barrier and partial controls for screeners:
   • Stand behind a physical barrier (glass or plastic partition) to protect their face and mucous membranes from respiratory droplets that may be produced when employees cough, sneeze or talk.
   • Clean your hands with either soap and water for 20 seconds or with hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
   • Use a new pair of disposable gloves.
   • Look for signs of illness, which could include flushed cheeks or fatigue.
   • Confirm employees aren't coughing or experiencing shortness of breath.
   • Check the employee’s temperature by reaching around or through an opening in the partition. (Keep your face behind the barrier at all times.)
   • If non-contact thermometers are used, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and disinfecting.
   • Reusable thermometers must be cleaned between each check.
   • If disposable or non-contact thermometers are used to screen multiple employees and there was no  physical contact with an individual, you don't need to change gloves before the next check.
   • After screening the last employee, remove and discard gloves and clean your hands with either soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
3. Following proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for screeners:
   • Clean your hands with either soap and water for 20 seconds or with hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
   • Put on a facemask, eye protection (goggles or disposable face shield that fully covers the front & sides of your face), a single pair of disposable gloves and a gown if you expect to have extensive contact with the employee.
   • Look for signs of illness, which could include flushed cheeks or fatigue.
   • Confirm employees aren't coughing or experiencing shortness of breath.
   • Take the employee's temperature.
   • If non-contact thermometers are used, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and disinfecting.
   • Reusable thermometers must be cleaned between each check.
   • If disposable or non-contact thermometers are used to screen multiple employees and you did not have physical contact with an individual, you do not need to change your gloves before the next check.
   • After screening the last employee, remove and discard PPE and gloves and clean your hands with either soap and water for 20 seconds or with hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.