An official from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in a telebriefing for reporters on Tuesday, Feb. 25, that businesses, among other entities, should begin preparations for how they can respond to the spread of coronavirus, COVID-19, within the U.S.
"It’s not so much a question of if this will happen anymore but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness," remarked the official, Nancy Messonnier, MD, is the Director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Messonnier noted that the CDC has been on dozens of calls with different partners in the health, retail, education, and business sectors for preparation efforts.
Various retail companies have responded as revenue losses have occurred in China, ComplianceWeek reported. The stock market has also been affected, as Reuters reported.
The CDC has provided guidance for businesses specifically here, which include recommendations regarding response plans and strategies to employ now. Those current recommendations, which are further detailed on the webpage, include:
- Actively encourage sick employees to stay home
- Emphasize staying home when sick, respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene by all employees
- Perform routine environmental cleaning
- Advise employees before traveling to take certain steps
