It is the job of businesses to limit the negative impact of the H1N1 influenza and seasonal flu outbreaks, officials of several U.S. agencies said Wednesday.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with input from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, developed updated guidance for employers of all sizes to respond to the outbreak of H1N1 flu, commonly referred to as swine flu.
During an influenza pandemic, all sick people should stay home and away from the workplace, hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes should be encouraged, and routine cleaning of commonly touched surfaces should be performed regularly,
the guidance said.
If severity increases, public health officials may recommend a variety of methods for increasing the physical distance between people — called social distancing — to reduce the spread of disease, such as school dismissal, child care program closure, canceling large community gatherings, canceling large business-related meetings, spacing workers farther apart in the workplace, canceling non-essential travel, and recommending work-from-home strategies for workers that can conduct their business remotely.
CDC recommends workers who appear to have an influenza-like illness be separated from other workers and be advised to go home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever, the guidance said.
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