Coronavirus resources for institutions?
March 8, 2020 3:41 PM Subscribe
Related to coronavirus, (1) Is it fair to say that the lack of US national leadership is slowing adoption of social distancing measures? If so, (2) has anyone put together a resource for those of us with influence on when own workplaces to take action?
Most of my information comes from following a small set of epidemiologists on twitter, so I might be wrong, but my sense is that they believe there should be more social distancing action being taken. When I look at communications from my employer, the local university, and so on, I get the impression that they are waiting for higher authorities like the CDC to tell them to take action. Is that true?
If so, are there resources that we should be sharing with those who are making decisions about - in the absence of federal leadership - how they should know when it's time to cancel classes, direct every staff who can work from home to do so, and so forth? Is there a list of places that have canceled events or classes? I've been tempted to compile peer-reviewed articles into a two-page explainer, but does this already exist?
Most of my information comes from following a small set of epidemiologists on twitter, so I might be wrong, but my sense is that they believe there should be more social distancing action being taken. When I look at communications from my employer, the local university, and so on, I get the impression that they are waiting for higher authorities like the CDC to tell them to take action. Is that true?
If so, are there resources that we should be sharing with those who are making decisions about - in the absence of federal leadership - how they should know when it's time to cancel classes, direct every staff who can work from home to do so, and so forth? Is there a list of places that have canceled events or classes? I've been tempted to compile peer-reviewed articles into a two-page explainer, but does this already exist?
Response by poster: Sorry for the typos. I accidentally hit post instead of preview while editing, but it isn't bad enough to want to contact the mods. Thanks in advance for information and, on preview, for those links, katra.
posted by Spokane at 3:47 PM on March 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Spokane at 3:47 PM on March 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
The CDC has also published Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to "Plan, Prepare and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019," which includes a link to OSHA's COVID-19 page.
Singapore's General advisory for workplace measures in response to DORSCON Orange situation in Singapore as of March 3, 2020 was linked in a previous AskMe about workplace planning.
posted by katra at 3:57 PM on March 8, 2020
Singapore's General advisory for workplace measures in response to DORSCON Orange situation in Singapore as of March 3, 2020 was linked in a previous AskMe about workplace planning.
posted by katra at 3:57 PM on March 8, 2020
I live and work in King County and while members of the Trump admin are behaving questionably, the local institutions are handling things well. Most major employers have instituted teleworking; I work for one of the municipalities and while we have a duty to report and keep government running, we've all been given permission to work from home and encouraged to say home if feeling sick. Our city has cancelled any large events indefinitely and many other events are being cancelled.
Universities are moving to online classes. Public K-12 schools are making preparations, but are trying to stay open for classes as closing would be hugely disruptive and wouldn't necessarily prevent young people from congregating. And those students who depend on schools for breakfast, lunch and other services need these places to stay open.
You should follow the lead of your Public Health Department, they have jurisdictional authority in these matters.
posted by brookeb at 4:07 PM on March 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Universities are moving to online classes. Public K-12 schools are making preparations, but are trying to stay open for classes as closing would be hugely disruptive and wouldn't necessarily prevent young people from congregating. And those students who depend on schools for breakfast, lunch and other services need these places to stay open.
You should follow the lead of your Public Health Department, they have jurisdictional authority in these matters.
posted by brookeb at 4:07 PM on March 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
The American Association of School Administrators (via) offers a variety of resources on their website, including a downloadable guide for schools from Education Week and a Pandemic Flu Checklist for school administrators.
The American College Health Association has also published guidance (via Inside Higher Ed)
Also: UW cancels in-person classes amid coronavirus outbreak (King5 / MSN); Rice University cancels classes due to coronavirus concerns (KHOU 11, Mar. 8, 2020); First U.S. Colleges Close Classrooms as Virus Spreads. More Could Follow. (NYT, Mar. 6, 2020)
posted by katra at 4:16 PM on March 8, 2020
The American College Health Association has also published guidance (via Inside Higher Ed)
Also: UW cancels in-person classes amid coronavirus outbreak (King5 / MSN); Rice University cancels classes due to coronavirus concerns (KHOU 11, Mar. 8, 2020); First U.S. Colleges Close Classrooms as Virus Spreads. More Could Follow. (NYT, Mar. 6, 2020)
posted by katra at 4:16 PM on March 8, 2020
The California Department of Public Health has assembled a collection of COVID-19 guidance documents specific to a variety of institutions, professions, and facilities.
posted by RichardP at 4:32 PM on March 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by RichardP at 4:32 PM on March 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
I work for Public Health Seattle & King County and we have some good resources on our resource page - click “for businesses and employers” near the bottom of the page here.
posted by centrifugal at 5:39 PM on March 8, 2020
posted by centrifugal at 5:39 PM on March 8, 2020
Also if you’re in actual Spokane and not just named after it, watch news from your health department.
posted by centrifugal at 6:06 PM on March 8, 2020
posted by centrifugal at 6:06 PM on March 8, 2020
Response by poster: Thanks for all the resources.
Also if you’re in actual Spokane and not just named after it, watch news from your health department.
I'm not in Spokane, but I'll look up my local city, good idea.
posted by Spokane at 12:10 AM on March 9, 2020
Also if you’re in actual Spokane and not just named after it, watch news from your health department.
I'm not in Spokane, but I'll look up my local city, good idea.
posted by Spokane at 12:10 AM on March 9, 2020
You're probably not a librarian, but, just in case:
COVID-19 and Library Managers (Urban Librarians Unite)
Libraries and Pandemic Preparedness (American Library Association)
posted by box at 6:32 AM on March 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
COVID-19 and Library Managers (Urban Librarians Unite)
Libraries and Pandemic Preparedness (American Library Association)
posted by box at 6:32 AM on March 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
The CDC has published Resources for Institutes of Higher Education
Also: Stanford, others switch to online classes temporarily amid coronavirus fears (WaPo, Mar. 8, 2020)
Also: Stanford, others switch to online classes temporarily amid coronavirus fears (WaPo, Mar. 8, 2020)
In New York, where multiple cases have been identified, Columbia University announced Sunday that classes are canceled Monday and Tuesday and that the university strongly discourages nonessential gatherings of more than 25 people. There are no confirmed cases among Columbia students, faculty or staff, but the Ivy League school’s president wrote that someone had been quarantined and that the suspension of classes will allow the school to prepare for a shift to remote classes for the remainder of the week.posted by katra at 4:23 PM on March 9, 2020
[...] Stanford’s campus remains open, with health care and other services available, and research continues, according to a message to students from a university official, but students are not required to be there.
Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace (EEOC)
[...] relevant to questions frequently asked about workplace pandemic planning such as:posted by katra at 7:08 PM on March 9, 2020
* How much information may an employer request from an employee who calls in sick, in order to protect the rest of its workforce when an influenza pandemic appears imminent?
* When may an ADA-covered employer take the body temperature of employees during a pandemic?
* Does the ADA allow employers to require employees to stay home if they have symptoms of the pandemic influenza virus?
* When employees return to work, does the ADA allow employers to require doctors’ notes certifying their fitness for duty?
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posted by katra at 3:46 PM on March 8, 2020 [1 favorite]