CDC: Working In An Office Instead Of Remotely May Double Your COVID Risk

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges companies to allow their employees to work from home to reduce their risk of getting COVID-19. Researchers found that employees who tested positive for the coronavirus were twice as likely as those who tested negative to have worked exclusively in an office setting in the two weeks before their diagnosis.

"Adults who received positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to report exclusively going to an office or school setting in the 2 weeks before illness onset, compared with those who tested negative, even among those working in a profession outside of the critical infrastructure," the CDC said.

The agency said that companies should do their best to promote telework options for their employees. When that is not possible, the CDC advised companies to implement coronavirus safety plans to ensure the health and safety of all workers.

"Within the critical infrastructure and other workplaces where telework options are not possible, worker safety measures should continue to be scaled up by creating a COVID-19 preparedness response plan, implementing essential infection prevention and control measures (e.g., social distancing, wearing masks, provision of personal protective equipment, daily health checks, hand hygiene, sanitation, and disinfection), as well as enhancing policies to protect employees and the community," the CDC wrote.

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