Self-protection against COVID/illness - immunocompromised edition
June 24, 2021 12:59 PM
Inspired by this question, I wanted to ask the differences if you are immunocompromised. (more details inside)
I work at a university. I am fully vaccinated and was vaccinated before (very recently, newly diagnosed) starting on methotrexate due to a new diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis.
Everything is now returning to pre-COVID normal at work and students will not be wearing masks or distancing and I have been told that I cannot ask them to in my office or classroom.
Other than washing my hands a lot and the usual eat right, sleep enough tips, what should I be doing to protect myself? I will be wearing a mask and distancing as much as practical.
I work at a university. I am fully vaccinated and was vaccinated before (very recently, newly diagnosed) starting on methotrexate due to a new diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis.
Everything is now returning to pre-COVID normal at work and students will not be wearing masks or distancing and I have been told that I cannot ask them to in my office or classroom.
Other than washing my hands a lot and the usual eat right, sleep enough tips, what should I be doing to protect myself? I will be wearing a mask and distancing as much as practical.
Onsite spread is an OSHA reportable workplace safety issue in my state. Might be worth mentioning that to someone. Those investigations can be tough on a company.
Can you see what the rules are in your state?
posted by answergrape at 1:13 PM on June 24, 2021
Can you see what the rules are in your state?
posted by answergrape at 1:13 PM on June 24, 2021
I don't know if this will be helpful or not, but my husband has a weakened immune system as well as a lung condition, and he works in a hospital in close quarters with a lot of anti-vaxxers who don't ever wear masks (he's around them a few hours a day, otherwise he's offsite doing his own thing). He's basically in the frame of mind right now that we have to trust the science -- he's been fully vaccinated since some time in January and wears his mask most of the time when he's around others, but not always since sometimes they just get in his face without a lot of warning. We wash our hands a lot, we sanitize our hands a lot, he avoids others when he can. But he talked to his pulmonologist recently about his chances of getting a serious case of COVID if he were infected, and his doctor has reassured him that people with his condition don't have worse outcomes than others, and that the vaccine should be effective at preventing serious cases. That's helped ease his mind a lot.
posted by jabes at 1:16 PM on June 24, 2021
posted by jabes at 1:16 PM on June 24, 2021
It seems possible this could be framed to your HR as an ADA issue (asking students who are in your immediate vicinity to wear masks due to your immunocompromised status) if you feel able to escalate it. I realize that's a big "if" but this is absolutely a workplace accessibility issue for you and you have rights, despite whatever asinine rules your campus is using to make a political point.
posted by augustimagination at 1:18 PM on June 24, 2021
posted by augustimagination at 1:18 PM on June 24, 2021
Seconding what augustimagination said. The first question I had was whether your employer was aware of your immunocompromised status when they told you that you couldn't ask others to wear masks in your classroom or office (!).
At any rate, the magic words are to ask for reasonable accommodations. They can't just say it would contradict their policy to avoid providing one for you (such as requiring masks and/or other precautions in your space/proximity that they are not otherwise requiring in other situations).
Even if dealing with the employer is a hassle, if someone told me, I've been told I can't require you to wear masks but I'm immunocompromised and would greatly appreciate you wearing a mask when you come to my office, I would absolutely want to do so. Don't know if that would fly politically where you are (I suppose when you are in a position of power someone could complain and say it's not really just a "request").
Re: precautions, my advice is to get the best masks you can (n95 are not hard to get anymore) and wear them yourself; they are extremely effective to the point that you don't really need to worry about others are doing. (If your employer is telling you that YOU aren't allowed to wear a mask, you have very big problems.)
posted by Squalor Victoria at 1:39 PM on June 24, 2021
At any rate, the magic words are to ask for reasonable accommodations. They can't just say it would contradict their policy to avoid providing one for you (such as requiring masks and/or other precautions in your space/proximity that they are not otherwise requiring in other situations).
Even if dealing with the employer is a hassle, if someone told me, I've been told I can't require you to wear masks but I'm immunocompromised and would greatly appreciate you wearing a mask when you come to my office, I would absolutely want to do so. Don't know if that would fly politically where you are (I suppose when you are in a position of power someone could complain and say it's not really just a "request").
Re: precautions, my advice is to get the best masks you can (n95 are not hard to get anymore) and wear them yourself; they are extremely effective to the point that you don't really need to worry about others are doing. (If your employer is telling you that YOU aren't allowed to wear a mask, you have very big problems.)
posted by Squalor Victoria at 1:39 PM on June 24, 2021
In the little picture: Are you obligated to meet with students in your office? Could you hold office hours via Zoom and keep your door closed when you're in there? Or, if there's a window, does it open? Or, could you arrange to meet with students someplace that seems better, perhaps a covered outside area?
Same for the classroom: if there's a window, can you open it?
In the big picture: When does your semester start? If it's September, that means you'll have the advantage of seeing what happens across the US as earlier-opening universities return to campus. But, regardless of when your university starts fall semester, I think the first few weeks are likely to be the most confusing and anxiety-producing. You can make some decisions on how to start the term that are more cautious. After three or four weeks, it will become clear how Covid is spreading on college campuses, and yours in particular. You may consider, for example, not meeting with students in person outside of class for the first month of term. If, after a month, things seem to be going well on your campus and in your community (the variants aren't running amok, for example), then you might decide to meet with students in person in your office.
Which is to say, I think you only need to figure out how to handle the first few weeks to a month, and then I think we'll have a lot more information about what's happening with Covid in higher ed.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:50 PM on June 24, 2021
Same for the classroom: if there's a window, can you open it?
In the big picture: When does your semester start? If it's September, that means you'll have the advantage of seeing what happens across the US as earlier-opening universities return to campus. But, regardless of when your university starts fall semester, I think the first few weeks are likely to be the most confusing and anxiety-producing. You can make some decisions on how to start the term that are more cautious. After three or four weeks, it will become clear how Covid is spreading on college campuses, and yours in particular. You may consider, for example, not meeting with students in person outside of class for the first month of term. If, after a month, things seem to be going well on your campus and in your community (the variants aren't running amok, for example), then you might decide to meet with students in person in your office.
Which is to say, I think you only need to figure out how to handle the first few weeks to a month, and then I think we'll have a lot more information about what's happening with Covid in higher ed.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:50 PM on June 24, 2021
Keep in mind that disposable masks, like N95 and the typical blue hospital mask are meant to be disposable. If the people you come into contact with have Covid, there could be viral particles left on the outside of your mask, and if you just put it aside and use it over again you could come in contact with the viral particles. You should use a new mask each day. There was some controversy early in the raging pandemic when hospitals were forced to sterilize masks to have staff re-use them, and there was quite a bit of controversy about this.
Cloth masks should be laundered between wearings.
Best of luck with this issue - it's a big one and affects many more people than is generally appreciated. Also, don't overlook any ventilation improvements you might be able to make. If your employer is approachable on the issue of accommodations, maybe you could move to an office with better ventilation.
posted by citygirl at 1:52 PM on June 24, 2021
Cloth masks should be laundered between wearings.
Best of luck with this issue - it's a big one and affects many more people than is generally appreciated. Also, don't overlook any ventilation improvements you might be able to make. If your employer is approachable on the issue of accommodations, maybe you could move to an office with better ventilation.
posted by citygirl at 1:52 PM on June 24, 2021
Your university is not my university, but while mine is returning to "normal" there is still an option to apply via ADA for accommodations of remote work for those with medical conditions like yours. I'd talk to your chair/dean/provost/etc.
As for students, if it's a big lecture hall you're likely out of luck - but if teaching a small seminar, even if you cannot require masks, you might let students know your situation and make it clear you'd prefer if they masked. I wouldn't risk this if you don't have tenure or work at a public university in a red state, but most college students that I teach have been pretty keen to do their part to stop the spread and would likely greet such a request with empathy. You know your students best though.
posted by coffeecat at 2:21 PM on June 24, 2021
As for students, if it's a big lecture hall you're likely out of luck - but if teaching a small seminar, even if you cannot require masks, you might let students know your situation and make it clear you'd prefer if they masked. I wouldn't risk this if you don't have tenure or work at a public university in a red state, but most college students that I teach have been pretty keen to do their part to stop the spread and would likely greet such a request with empathy. You know your students best though.
posted by coffeecat at 2:21 PM on June 24, 2021
Can you work from home as much as possible, e.g. only come to campus to teach your class, hold pre-announced office hours, and attend required meetings? This would help reduce your exposure (and many academics have this flexibility).
Otherwise, can you keep your office door closed and locked (and window open) at times other than your pre-announced office hours? Same if you have a research lab; you can probably control whether randos walk in, even if just for "lab safety" reasons.
And definitely inform your colleagues and the students in your class(es) that you are immunocompromised and would appreciate it if they wear a mask when they enter your space. You sure as hell can tell people this.
posted by heatherlogan at 2:21 PM on June 24, 2021
Otherwise, can you keep your office door closed and locked (and window open) at times other than your pre-announced office hours? Same if you have a research lab; you can probably control whether randos walk in, even if just for "lab safety" reasons.
And definitely inform your colleagues and the students in your class(es) that you are immunocompromised and would appreciate it if they wear a mask when they enter your space. You sure as hell can tell people this.
posted by heatherlogan at 2:21 PM on June 24, 2021
Keep in mind that disposable masks, like N95 and the typical blue hospital mask are meant to be disposable. If the people you come into contact with have Covid, there could be viral particles left on the outside of your mask, and if you just put it aside and use it over again you could come in contact with the viral particles.
Don't let perfect be the enemy of pretty darn good. Virus particles that are on the outside of your mask are virus particles that are NOT on the inside of your sinuses. COVID deposited on surfaces degrades to undetectable levels within 3 days. Even if you have three KN95 masks that you rotate between, and wash your hands after you get home and take them off, you are miles ahead of where you'd be without wearing a mask. The great majority of transmission is through aerosols, and surface transmission has turned out to be really rather insignificant.
A good-fitting mask with a bendable nose-wire is significantly better than a mask with gaps on the sides. You want the air filtered through the mask as you breathe in and out.
posted by heatherlogan at 3:00 PM on June 24, 2021
Don't let perfect be the enemy of pretty darn good. Virus particles that are on the outside of your mask are virus particles that are NOT on the inside of your sinuses. COVID deposited on surfaces degrades to undetectable levels within 3 days. Even if you have three KN95 masks that you rotate between, and wash your hands after you get home and take them off, you are miles ahead of where you'd be without wearing a mask. The great majority of transmission is through aerosols, and surface transmission has turned out to be really rather insignificant.
A good-fitting mask with a bendable nose-wire is significantly better than a mask with gaps on the sides. You want the air filtered through the mask as you breathe in and out.
posted by heatherlogan at 3:00 PM on June 24, 2021
A recent small study reported that a third dose of an mRNA vaccine increased immune response in solid-organ transplant recipients (i.e., a group of immunocompromised people). It's a different population that you are in as the average time from transplant to vaccination was 98 months.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2108861
posted by lulu68 at 3:43 PM on June 24, 2021
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2108861
posted by lulu68 at 3:43 PM on June 24, 2021
Facilities for our campus upgraded air filtration systems to hospital-grade where I work, so ask for information as more may have happened while you were remote. For that filtration to work well, opening windows is not advisable. Read the fine print on what has been shared since remote work, and ask.
Wear a mask. People should treat wearing a mask like wearing glasses - people do what they need to do. Practice social distancing and request it of others -it’s not about them.
Ask for accommodation - on campus it’s often via HR or Disability Services for employees, and is a confidential process, so you can quietly see what your options are.
posted by childofTethys at 3:36 AM on June 25, 2021
Wear a mask. People should treat wearing a mask like wearing glasses - people do what they need to do. Practice social distancing and request it of others -it’s not about them.
Ask for accommodation - on campus it’s often via HR or Disability Services for employees, and is a confidential process, so you can quietly see what your options are.
posted by childofTethys at 3:36 AM on June 25, 2021
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posted by blue suede stockings at 1:12 PM on June 24, 2021