Is Coronavirus SARS 2.0?
By Julian James-Burke, MPH
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March 13, 2020
We've seen this before in 2003 and the outbreak was resolved in 9 months. Are we better prepared 17 years later?
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Author
Julian James-Burke, MPH
Sr. Public Health Consultant
As the infectious disease COVID-19 has reached pandemic levels, awareness of how to protect and mitigate the spread of the virus has intensified. Let's review the evolution of these virus causing respiratory infections and key actions we can take at the workplace and in the community.
What's the connection between SARS and Coronavirus?
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Let's rewind back to 2003. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), SARS-CoV is animal virus from bats that spreads to other animals. SARS first reported human transmission occurred when civets meat was sold at an open market in the Guangdong province of China. Over 8000 people were infected with SARS in 26 countries and 700 of those 8000+ died from the illness.
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Coronavirus like SARS is also zoonotic, transmitted from animals to humans. Once the virus has found a human host, it can then be transmitted from human to human. As of today, there are over 125,000 cases spanning 125 countries. Over 4000 people have died from COVID-19.
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Yes those numbers are alarming and yes coronavirus is more infectious than SARS. Like SARS, it appears that coronavirus transmission has occurred during peak virus excretion, which is the second week of illness (7-14 days). There is no vaccine for SARS and it will take about a year for a vaccine to be released for COVID-19, so the only prophylactic solutions available are preventive and lifestyle measures. Here's some key actions to take in order to protect your key assets; your team, your family, and yourself:
1. Put together a Response Team
Show initiative by rolling out a cross-functional team that is responsible for internal COVID-19 procedures, communication, and plan execution. Large organizations should select one Vice President that reports to the Chief Executive Officer to lead the charge. VP's are a good fit because they usually have a little more autonomy to organize the team and manage the day-to-day expectations of their role. Once the team is assembled, we can now focus on a plan.
2. Cross-functional plan
Work with a sense of urgency but don't panic. This pandemic response plan must include all of the key verticals that can be affected by business disruption. These verticals include employee health & wellness (people first!), supply chain, sales, and finance. Teams have to consistently keep a pulse on the employees and access their abilities to perform under these stresses. If an employee is showing symptoms, make sure the communication is concise on the next steps.
Your supply chain will undoubtedly see a shift. Stabilize the inventory and identity the high priority vendors. And if some of your vendors are in China, you have determine how long it will be until production resumes. The change in the supply needs to be communicated to the sales teams and they will be able to manage the online demand for your services/product. A pandemic doesn't necessarily mean that sales revenue halts, the consumer may have changed their buying behaviors to e-commerce transactions. And lastly, keep real-time analysis on the EBITDA, P&L, and cash flow. Be wary of any spikes or triggers that are causing a deficit.
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3. Be purpose driven
Now that you have appointed the appropriate leaders, established a clear line of communication for all departments, and secured the stabilization of all the key verticals, it's time allocate some resources to the fight against the virus. Communal disease needs all parties in the community to play a part in recovery and prevention.
Donations can help fund the creation of a vaccine or help purchase motels or equalivilate real estate for quarantines. Another great way to help if your line of business happens to be in medical manufacturing/devices is to utilize the current supply chain model to help produce more disinfectant supplies or medical masks to help meet the rising demand.
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4. Keep your hands & objects clean
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It is no secret that we are constantly being reminded of this through the media; however, with so much growing anxiety about the spread of this virus, it is relatively easy to forget that the most effective first-hand precautionary measure is to make you keep your hands and workspace clean.
Ensuring that you constantly wash your hands before and after making contact with people, eating a meal, using the restroom, and things of the like, you drastically decrease your chances of contracting the coronavirus. Remember, there is no such as washing your hands too much or being too clean!
5. Provide on-site screening
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According to medical researchers and physicians who have reported cases of COVID-19, there are also some similarities between coronavirus and the flu (e.g. high fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.). An effective preventative measure that you can place into action at your business is to provide disposable thermometers so that members of your team can take their temperature to see if they are starting to develop signs of a high fever if they are feeling “under the weather.”
Also, if it fits into the budget for your business, consider hiring nurses who can work part-time to provide on-site screenings for the coronavirus. The earlier potential symptoms of COVID-19 are detected, the earlier you can seek medical attention to take appropriate preventative measures.
6. Be fluid & make adjustments
Assess what's working and what steps in the plan are causing delays. Document and readjust. The key to a well executed pandemic response plan is to communicate the contingency and fluidity of the process. If you demonstrate that these changes are to protect your employees and your organization has committed to a purpose driven initiative, buy-in and a successful response to the outbreak will follow.