WHAT IS RECOMMENDED FOR BUSINESSES RIGHT NOW?
- OSHA suggests that employers consider adopting policies requiring workers to vaccinate or undergo regular COVID-19 testing.
- Employees get tested regularly, especially in substantial or high community transmission areas.
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- Fully vaccinated people should get tested 3-5 days after exposure and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.
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- People who are not fully vaccinated should be tested immediately after identifying a potential exposure and, if negative, tested again in 5–7 days after last exposure or immediately if symptoms develop during quarantine.
- The CDC states that employees who become ill with symptoms of COVID-19 should leave the workplace.
WORKPLACE TESTING
- Employers will need to assess whether current pandemic circumstances and individual workplace circumstances justify viral screening testing of employees to prevent workplace transmission of COVID-19.
- If an employer seeks to implement employee screening testing, such testing must meet the “business necessity” standard based on relevant facts. Possible considerations in making the “business necessity” assessment may include the level of community transmission, the vaccination status of employees, the accuracy and speed of processing for different types of COVID-19 viral tests, the degree to which breakthrough infections are possible for employees who are “up to date” on vaccinations, the ease of transmissibility of the current variant(s), the possible severity of illness from the current variant, what types of contacts employees may have with others in the workplace or elsewhere that they are required to work (e.g., working with medically vulnerable individuals), and the potential impact on operations if an employee enters the workplace with COVID-19.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE RETURNING FROM TRAVEL
- Get tested for current infection with a COVID-19 viral test 3-5 days after arrival.
- Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
- While there isn’t a mandatory quarantine period or mandatory post-travel testing for the unvaccinated, the CDC strongly advises a self-quarantine for up to 10 days. It’s possible to shorten the self-quarantine period by getting a post-travel test.
- The two self-quarantine guidelines depend on whether or not you get a post-travel test.
- Self-quarantine for 7 days and get a post-travel test between days 3 and 5.
- Self-quarantine for 10 days (if you skip the post-travel test) .
- The two self-quarantine guidelines depend on whether or not you get a post-travel test.
- If your test is positive or you develop COVID-19 Symptoms after traveling, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
TESTING CAN IMPROVE WORKPLACE SAFETY
- Employers might have been exposed to COVID-19 on their travels. They might feel well and not have any symptoms, but they can still be infected and spread the virus to others. Testing confirms that there is no spreading of the virus in the workplace after traveling.
- All employers should remain alert to and informed about changing outbreak conditions, including as they relate to community spread of the virus and testing availability, and implement infection prevention and control measures accordingly.
TYPES OF TESTING OFFERED AT GS LABS:
COVID-19 RAPID ANTIGEN TEST:
This test is administered with a nasal swab, and GS Labs uses the Indicard Rapid COVID-19 test, which allows results to come back in as little as 30 minutes (wait times may vary depending on volume). MOST insurance providers fully cover this test.
COVID-19 STANDARD PCR TEST:
The PCR test is administered with a nasal swab. This test can detect the virus within days of infection, even in those with no symptoms, because it detects the virus’s RNA (or genetic material). Results of the PCR test come back in 3-5 days. MOST insurance providers fully cover this test.
COVID-19 RAPID PCR TEST (NAAT-PCR):
This NAAT-PCR test is administered with a nasal swab. This test’s Limit of Detection (LoD) is among the lowest measured for the FDA SARS-CoV-2 Reference Panel. This test is not covered by insurance and is charged as an out-of-pocket expense of $299.00.
COVID-19 RAPID LAMP TEST (NAAT-LAMP) :
This NAAT-LAMP test is administered with a nasal swab.The Limit of Detection (LoD) is also among the lowest measured for the FDA SARS-CoV-2 Reference Panel. This test is very similar to PCR, differing only in the lack of temperature fluctuations in the testing process. GS Labs provides NAAT-LAMP results in 30 minutes. This test is not covered by insurance and is charged as an out-of-pocket expense of $299.00.
COVID-19 RAPID & FLU ANTIGEN COMBINED TEST:
GS Labs offers one test to detect two contagious respiratory illnesses, COVID-19 and Influenza. The COVID-19 Rapid & Flu Antigen Combined test detects COVID-19, Influenza A, and Influenza B. This test is administered with a nasal swab and can provide results in as little as 20 minutes (wait times may vary depending on volume). This test is not covered by insurance and is charged as an out-of-pocket expense of $199.00.
ABOUT GS LABS
GS Labs Testing provides COVID-19 testing and peace of mind to multiple communities throughout the US. Our professional staff, including Registered Nurses on-site, are here to help make the COVID-19 testing process safe and simple to deliver your results as quickly as possible.
GS Labs’ rapid testing facilities are helping communities meet the needs and challenges of COVID-19 through employing hundreds of local staff and providing rapid COVID-19 testing services. Our goal is simple – easy scheduling, no-wait testing, and timely results.
HOW TESTING WORKS:
Need Testing: gslabstesting.com
Keep the CDC last page with all the citations.
LINKS TO FIND INFORMATION: https://www.osha.gov/coronavirus/safework
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/faqs.html
