People who work at the office may be more at risk of contracting COVID-19 than those who work remotely, according to a new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Researchers who examined possible exposures to COVID-19 among employed adults found that workers who tested positive were almost twice as likely to report regularly commuting to work, compared with the employees studied who tested negative, according to ABC News.
The report is the result of interviews with 310 people tested for COVID-19 in July. About half of that group tested positive, and researchers compared them to a control group of individuals. Most of the people in both groups were adults who “held full-time, non-essential jobs outside of critical infrastructure” and had similar community exposure to COVID-19 outside of the workplace.
What if Telework Isn’t Possible?
The study’s results led the CDC to recommend teleworking to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but if that isn’t possible, the agency recommends:
- Scaling up safety measures by creating a coronavirus preparedness response plan
- Implementing infection prevention and control measures such as social distancing, wearing masks or other PPE, daily health checks and good hygiene practices, and
- Enhancing policies to protect employees and the community
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