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  • Coronavirus Is Keeping Me Home From Work. Will I Get Paid?

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    Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News* March 12, 2020

    As the novel coronavirus continues to march across the country, for many workers getting sick is only part of what worries them. What about getting paid if they are ill or have to be quarantined?

    Congressional Democrats are pushing for legislation that would provide paid leave for those who are not being compensated while out of work because of sickness, quarantine or family needs resulting from the coronavirus outbreak. Republicans and members of the administration have said they also are open to negotiations on a proposal. A vote in the House on legislation was expected as soon as Thursday, leaving little time for Congress to reach an accord before members leave for a two-week break at the end of this week.

    Currently, 10 states and the District of Columbia have laws that require some paid sick leave, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families. In addition, nearly two dozen cities and counties have paid sick leave laws.

    If you’re wondering what financial protection you have, here are answers to some common questions.

    What if I’m quarantined for 14 days but I don’t have any symptoms of illness, or my office is closed because of the virus? Will I still get paid?

    People aren’t automatically entitled to any benefits if they’ve been quarantined, said Carol Harnett, a health and disability consultant in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. Your paid leave will depend on what benefits your company offers as well as any benefits mandated by the state or local jurisdiction.

    What benefits you’re entitled to will also likely depend on whether you’ve been quarantined because you’re actually sick with COVID-19 — the illness caused by the new coronavirus ― or if you’re sidelined as a precautionary measure because you’ve been exposed to someone who is sick.

    Whether or not you’re ill, most employers would consider being quarantined something for which workers can take paid sick leave, said Rich Fuerstenberg, a senior partner at benefits consultancy Mercer. Your company may, however, offer other paid benefits that can cover your absence, such as emergency leave, vacation or a paid-time-off benefit.

    Unless you have symptoms and have tested positive for the coronavirus, you generally won’t be eligible for short-term disability coverage, which typically kicks in for employees out of work because of a non-work-related illness or injury after a one- or two-week waiting period.

    “For disability benefits, you have to not be able to do your job,” Harnett said. “There are plenty of people who are being treated for cancer or back pain who are working. If you can perform the essential responsibilities of your job, you’re not eligible for disability benefits.”

    There are some exceptions. California, for example, is allowing people who have the coronavirus or have been exposed to it to be covered under that state’s disability insurance program.

    If you’re quarantined and you can work remotely, however, you can still get paid your regular wages. A number of companies have been encouraging their employees to do just that, including Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft, in California and Seattle.

    If your workplace is closed because of the virus, or you can’t get to work because the subway is shut down, for example, some employers say they would continue to pay workers. Nearly half of the 52 employers that responded to a Mercer question on the company’s website said they would pay at least some of their employees who were unable to work because of circumstances beyond their control.

    What if my kids’ schools are closed because of the virus and I can’t get child care, or I have to stay home to help my aging parents? Will my employer still pay me?

    Of the states that have paid sick day laws, half a dozen require some employers to compensate workers for at least some time during public health emergencies, including coverage if a child’s school is closed, said Jessica Mason, a senior policy analyst at the National Partnership for Women and Families. They are Arizona, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Some cities and municipalities also require it, she said.

    If your children or your parents are sick, the federal Family and Medical Leave Act requires firms with 50 or more employees to provide eligible workers up to 12 weeks off to take care of themselves or family members with serious health conditions. But that leave is unpaid.

    Meanwhile, eight states and the District of Columbia have family and medical leave insurance laws that are similar to the federal law but require employers to pay workers to some degree if they take time off for this reason, according to the National Partnership.

    “The coronavirus really exposes the gaps that we have in the public health system, including a real lack of workplace policies to cover these types of contingencies,” Mason said.

    What if I’m exposed to the virus on the job?

    If people get a job-related illness or injury, workers’ compensation insurance may pay for their medical care and rehabilitation and cover their lost wages.

    But people generally have had a hard time proving that they got a virus on the job, said Harnett. What’s to say transmission didn’t occur at the grocery store or the airport coming home from a business trip?

    Harnett said that in some cases health care workers have been approved for workers’ comp after getting influenza on the job. So it’s possible that nursing home or hospital workers, who’ve been on the front lines treating people diagnosed with COVID-19, could likewise make a credible argument that they were infected at work.

    Workers whose employers don’t offer health insurance or who have plans with high deductibles could be better off if their illness is determined to be job-related. Workers’ compensation insurance pays 100% of medical costs.

    One potential sticking point: Some states have rules prohibiting anyone from getting workers’ compensation for a viral infection, said Fuerstenberg.

    My employer doesn’t offer sick leave or any paid leave. I don’t feel like I can take time off even if I feel sick. What are my options?

    You’re in a very tough spot. Absent state or municipal requirements that require paid leave or new legislation at the federal level, your employer isn’t required to pay you if you don’t do the job you’re hired for.

    That can be devastating, especially for people in lower-wage jobs, said Terri Rhodes, CEO of the Disability Management Employer Coalition. “They may not be able to make the rent or put groceries on the table.”

    Lower-wage workers are often the ones most seriously affected by spotty sick leave policies. According to the Department of Labor, 47% of workers whose wages are in the lowest 25% wage bracket have access to paid sick leave, while 90% of workers in the top 25% wage bracket have paid sick leave.

    Some companies have announced changes to their paid-leave policies in recent days.

    Darden Restaurants, the company that owns Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse, announced Tuesday that this week it began providing paid sick leave to about 180,000 hourly workers. Hourly workers will accrue one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked.

    Trader Joe’s is encouraging workers to stay home if they feel ill, according to news reports, and promising to pay them for lost time.

    Such changes could be crucial to managing the spread of the virus.

    “Retail and restaurant workers are going to be one of our biggest transmission points because they are going to go to work, especially if they don’t have symptoms,” Harnett said. “And they’re going to handle food and be face-to-face with people.”

    Some employers that don’t provide paid time off nevertheless have short-term disability policies that could provide some income protection if you’re sick, said Harnett. But those policies typically have a waiting period of one or two weeks before benefits kick in, and two weeks without pay can be a devastating financial blow to lower-wage workers, who are often the employees without paid leave.

    In addition, short-term disability policies may be offered only to salaried workers or managers.

    *Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

  • Coronavirus Update: FDA and FTC Warn Seven Companies Selling Fraudulent Products that Claim to Treat or Prevent COVID-19

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    FDA.org

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warning letters to seven companies for selling fraudulent COVID-19 products.  These products are unapproved drugs that pose significant risks to patient health and violate federal law.  The FDA and FTC are taking this action as part of their response in protecting Americans during the global COVID-19 outbreak. The warning letters are the first to be issued by the FDA for unapproved products intended to prevent or treat “Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19).

    “The FDA considers the sale and promotion of fraudulent COVID-19 products to be a threat to the public health. We have an aggressive surveillance program that routinely monitors online sources for health fraud products, especially during a significant public health issue such as this one,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. “We understand consumers are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and urge them to talk to their health care providers, as well as follow advice from other federal agencies about how to prevent the spread of this illness. We will continue to aggressively pursue those that place the public health at risk and hold bad actors accountable.”

    “There already is a high level of anxiety over the potential spread of coronavirus,” said FTC Chairman Joe Simons. “What we don’t need in this situation are companies preying on consumers by promoting products with fraudulent prevention and treatment claims. These warning letters are just the first step. We’re prepared to take enforcement actions against companies that continue to market this type of scam.”

    The FDA is particularly concerned that products that claim to cure, treat or prevent serious diseases like COVID-19 may cause consumers to delay or stop appropriate medical treatment, leading to serious and life-threatening harm.

    The FDA and FTC jointly issued warning letters to Vital Silver, Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd., Xephyr, LLC doing business as N-Ergetics, GuruNanda, LLC, Vivify Holistic Clinic, Herbal Amy LLC, and The Jim Bakker Show.  The products cited in these warning letters are teas, essential oils, tinctures and colloidal silver. The FDA has previously warned that colloidal silver is not safe or effective for treating any disease or condition. The FDA and FTC requested companies respond in 48 hours describing the specific steps they have taken to correct the violations. Companies that sell products that fraudulently claim to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19 may be subject to legal action, including but not limited to seizure or injunction.   

    There are currently no vaccines or drugs approved to treat or prevent COVID-19. Although there are investigational COVID-19 vaccines and treatments under development, these investigational products are in the early stages of product development and have not yet been fully tested for safety or effectiveness.

    In addition to following up with companies that fail to make adequate corrections, the FDA and FTC will continue to monitor social media, online marketplaces and incoming complaints to help ensure that the companies do not continue to sell fraudulent products under a different company name or on another website. An FDA cross-agency task force has been established and dedicated to closely monitor for fraudulent products related to COVID-19. The task force has already reached out to major retailers to ask for their help in monitoring their online marketplaces for fraudulent products claiming to combat coronavirus and other pathogens. The task force has already worked with major retailers and online marketplaces to remove more than three dozen listings of fraudulent COVID-19 products. Several have already agreed to monitor their marketplaces for COVID-19 claims.

    The FDA reminds consumers to be cautious of websites and stores selling products that claim to prevent, mitigate, treat, diagnose or cure COVID-19. Fraudulent COVID-19 products may come in many varieties, including dietary supplements and other foods, as well as products purporting to be drugs, medical devices or vaccines. Products that claim to cure, mitigate, treat, diagnose or prevent disease, but are not proven safe and effective for those purposes, defraud consumers of money and can place consumers at risk for serious harm. Using these products may lead to delays in getting proper diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 and other potentially serious diseases and conditions.

    The FDA encourages health care professionals and consumers to report adverse events or quality problems experienced with the use of COVID-19 products to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.

    The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

  • Nancy Pelosi & Charles Schumer’s Proposal to Address Outbreak’s Impact on Economy Must Include Paid Sick Leave for Workers, Enhanced Unemployment Insurance, Affordable Treatment for All & Anti-price Gouging Protection

    Nancy Pelosi in chinatown sf
    House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer released the following joint statement urging President Trump to prioritize the needs of American workers and their families before the needs of major corporations in the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak:  

    “We are hoping to work with the administration on a coordinated, government-wide plan to respond to the coronavirus.  We are pleased that we passed an emergency response bill on an overwhelming, bipartisan basis that provided a significant increase in resources beyond the administration’s request.” 

    Photo above: Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a Chinatown  (San Francisco) trip on February 24, 2020

    “However, President Trump continues to manufacture needless chaos within his administration and it is hampering the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.  In light of reports that the Trump administration is considering new tax cuts for major corporations impacted by the coronavirus, we are demanding that the administration prioritize the health and safety of American workers and their families over corporate interests. 

    • Paid sick leave — workers impacted by quarantine orders or responsible for caring for children impacted by school closures must receive paid sick leave to alleviate the devastating consequences of lost wages;
    • Enhanced Unemployment Insurance — we must ensure unemployment insurance benefits are available and sufficient for workers who may lose their jobs from the economic impacts of the epidemic;
    • Food security — we must expand SNAP, WIC, school lunch and other initiatives and suspend implementation of any regulations that weaken federal food assistance, in order to ensure vulnerable populations do not lose access to food during this epidemic; 
    • Clear protections for frontline workers — we must have clear standards and sufficient distribution of necessary protective equipment for health care and other workers who are in contact with people who have been exposed or are suffering from the virus as well as the people responsible for cleaning buildings and public facilities;
    • Widespread and free coronavirus testing — to control the spread of coronavirus, the administration must ensure that all Americans who need an evaluation are able to access locations for cost-free testing and rapidly increase the unacceptably low daily test processing capacity inside the U.S.; 
    • Affordable treatment for all — patients must be reimbursed for any non-covered coronavirus-related costs, or else the epidemic will be worsened because Americans will fear they cannot afford the costs associated with treatment; 
    • Anti-price gouging protections — we must ensure that Americans are protected from price gouging of medical and non-medical essentials during this emergency;
    • Increase capacity of medical system — we must use our emergency response mechanisms to mobilize resources and facilities in order to respond to surges in demand.

    “The administration must move more quickly and seriously to address the severe impacts of the coronavirus on the financial security of America’s families.” 

  • State Department Advisory Regarding Travel During the COVID-19 (Corona Virus) Outbreak; List of Embassy Websites

    Grand Priincess

    Travel.State.Gov > Current Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019

     COVID-19 Country Information

    Current Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019

    See a list of embassy websites for additional Covid-19 information

    The Department of State has no greater responsibility than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas, including providing information to help U.S. citizens make informed decisions about traveling abroad.  The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 (also known as the Novel Coronavirus) has impacted countries differently and prompted some governments to implement new travel restrictions and policies.  On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization determined the COVID-19 outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).  Efforts to manage and contain the spread of COVID-19 have led to travel restrictions and interruptions overseas.

    What we recommend

    U.S. citizens are urged to:

    • Please review the Department of State’s travel advisory and country information page on Travel.state.gov and the Travelers’ Health page on CDC.gov for all countries and regions where you plan to travel.
    • Review information regarding COVID-19’s impact and any special restrictions on our U.S. Embassy websites within our “U.S. Citizen Services” webpage.
    • If you must travel to a region with active COVID-19 infections discuss your travel with your healthcare provider.  Older adults and travelers with underlying health issues may be at risk for more severe disease.
    • Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
    • For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19 please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
    • Follow local authority instructions.
    • Closely monitor Travel.state.gov and CDC.gov for important information.

    Before you travel

    Due to the current public health situation, many countries have begun implementing strict screening procedures in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19.

    • Any U.S. citizen returning to the United States who has been in Hubei province, China in the previous 14 days may be subject to up to 14 days of quarantine.
    •  Any U.S. citizen returning to the United States who has been in the rest of mainland China within the previous 14 days may be required to undergo a health screening and possible self-quarantine.
    • Please read these Department of Homeland Security supplemental instructions for further details.
    •  U.S. citizens are encouraged to monitor media and local information sources and factor updated information into personal travel plans and activities.  You may also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
    • If you travel, you should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive updates.

    Presidential Proclamation on Novel Coronavirus

    On Friday, January 31 President Trump signed a proclamation barring entry to the United States of most foreign nationals who traveled to China within the past 14 days. The full text of the presidential proclamation is available on the White House website.  On February 29, President Trump signed a second proclamation that expanded restrictions to include all aliens who were physically present within the Islamic Republic of Iran during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States.  Read the full text of the proclamation here.

    Passengers on Cruise Ships

    U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship.  CDC notes increased risk of infection of COVID-19 in a cruise ship environment. In order to curb the spread of COVID-19, many countries have implemented strict screening procedures that have denied port entry rights to ships and prevented passengers from disembarking.  In some cases, local authorities have permitted disembarkation but subjected passengers to local quarantine procedures.  While the U.S. government has evacuated some cruise ship passengers in recent weeks, repatriation flights should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities.  

    This is a fluid situation.  CDC notes that older adults and travelers with underlying health issues should avoid situations that put them at increased risk for more severe disease.  This entails avoiding crowded places, avoiding non-essential travel such as long plane trips, and especially avoiding embarking on cruise ships.  Passengers with plans to travel by cruise ship should contact their cruise line companies directly for further information and continue to monitor the Travel.state.gov website and see the latest information from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/index.html. 

    U.S. Students Abroad

    The CDC recommends institutes of higher education (IHE) consider postponing or canceling upcoming student foreign exchange programs. In addition, CDC recommends IHE consider asking current program participants to return to their home country.  Students abroad may face unpredictable circumstances, travel restrictions, and challenges in returning home or accessing health care while abroad. 

  • FactCheck Post: The Facts on Trump’s Travel Restrictions: “We Don’t Have a Travel Ban; We Have a Travel Band-Aid Right Now”

    supplies readied to drop to Grand Princess

    In this March 6, 2020, image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, Air Station crew members load personal protective equipment into a helicopter in San Francisco. Thousands of anxious people were confined Saturday to a cruise ship circling in international waters off the San Francisco Bay Area, after 21 passengers and crew members tested positive for the new coronavirus. The Grand Princess was forbidden to dock in San Francisco amid evidence that the vessel had been the breeding ground for a cluster of nearly 20 cases that resulted in at least one death after its previous voyage. (Taylor Bacon/U.S. Coast Guard)

    By 

    Posted on March 6, 2020

    • Trump has referred to the travel restrictions as a “travel ban.” There isn’t an outright ban, as there are exceptions, including for Americans and their family members.  There isn’t an outright ban, as there are exceptions, including for Americans and their family members.
    • Trump said he was “bold” in imposing travel restrictions even though “everybody said, it’s too early, it’s too soon” and “a lot of people that work on this stuff almost exclusively” told him “don’t do it.” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the decision stemmed from “the uniform recommendations of the career public health officials here at HHS.”
    • Trump said Democrats “loudly criticized and protested” his announced travel restrictions, and that they “called me a racist because I made that decision.” Trump is overstating Democratic opposition. None of the party’s congressional leaders and none of the Democratic candidates running for president have directly criticized that decision, though at least two Democrats have.
    • Trump said the travel restrictions “saved a lot of lives” and reduced U.S. COVID-19 cases to “a very small number.” But experts say there isn’t enough data to make that determination. A study in the journal Science found the various travel limitations across the globe initially helped to slow the spread, but the number of cases worldwide rose anyway because the virus had already begun traveling undetected internationally.

    Azar declared a public health emergency for the novel coronavirus on Jan. 31, and announced the travel restrictions to and from China, effective Feb. 2. On Feb. 29, Trump expanded those travel restrictions to Iran. Trump has repeatedly boasted that his decision to impose the travel restrictions was bold and worked. But his rhetoric has sometimes stretched the facts.

    For starters, health experts say Trump was wrong to refer to the travel restrictions as a “travel ban,” as he did in a telephone interview on March 4 with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. During a town hall on March 5, Trump said he “closed down the borders to China and to other areas that are very badly affected.” That’s not accurate.

    As Azar explained when he announced the travel restrictions on Jan. 31, the policy prohibits non-U.S. citizens, other than the immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, who have traveled to China within the last two weeks from entering the U.S.

    At a House subcommittee hearing on the coronavirus on Feb. 5, Ron Klain, White House Ebola response coordinator under the Obama administration, took issue with the characterization of the travel restrictions as a travel “ban.”

    “ We don’t have a travel ban,” Klain said. “We have a travel Band-Aid right now. First, before it was imposed, 300,000 people came here from China in the previous month. So, the horse is out of the barn.”

    “There’s no restriction on Americans going back and forth,” Klain said. “There are warnings. People should abide by those warnings. But today, 30 planes will land in Los Angeles that either originated in Beijing or came here on one-stops, 30 in San Francisco, 25 in New York City. Okay? So, unless we think that the color of the passport someone carries is a meaningful public health restriction, we have not placed a meaningful public health restriction.”

    Indeed, on Jan. 24, a week before the travel restrictions, the CDC confirmed two cases of the novel coronavirus in the U.S. from people who had returned from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began.

    Furthermore, Klain said, the import of goods from China is exempt from the travel restrictions, “and, of course, the people who fly the planes and drive the boats that bring those goods from China. We couldn’t ban that activity. We vitally need that. Ninety percent of the antibiotics in this country come from China. All kinds of vital medical supplies … we will use to treat people. So, travel bans … that’s not what we’re imposing, that’s not what exists.”

    As part of the travel restrictions, Azar announced that any U.S. citizen returning to the U.S. who had been in Hubei Province in China in the previous 14 days would be subject to mandatory quarantine and health screening. U.S. citizens returning from mainland China outside Hubei Province were ordered to undergo health screenings and “up to 14 days of monitored self-quarantine to ensure they’ve not contracted the virus and do not pose a public health risk,” Azar said.

    At the time the restrictions were announced, there were only six confirmed cases of the novel virus in the U.S. The outbreak, which began in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019, has now spread to more than 70 countries, including the U.S. According to a Johns Hopkins University case tracker and a New York Times database, as of March 6, more than 250 people in the U.S. have been infected with the new disease, known as COVID-19, and at least 14 have died.

  • Correspondence Course: I Come From a Family of Communicators

    by Julia Snedenvintage corresondence

    Like most of the rest of the world, I have become an email addict. It’s a distinct thrill when my window comes up with “… checking mail… receiving mail … 2 unread messages …” It’s also a distinct disappointment when the window clears after  “… checking mail …” and I realize there is nothing new waiting for me. The immediacy of email is surely a marvel. I love writing to my daughter-in-law in California in the morning, and finding an answer the same or next day.

    But nothing equals the excitement of receiving an honest-to-God snail mail letter through the mail slot in my front door. Shuffling through the ads, bills and catalogues (not much excitement there!) and coming up with a real letter with my name on it, is akin to finding that prize in the bottom of the cereal box, back when I was a kid. There’s nothing like it.

    In the first place, it’s tangible. The envelope has heft and character. It can be carried to a private spot for solitary consumption, or put on a shelf to prolong the anticipation, or ripped open and fecklessly tossed aside after a quick look at the contents. Those contents can be squirreled away for my eyes only, or left on the table for others to read, or read aloud to my family, if they’re something I’m of a mind to share. One can, of course, print out an email, but it’s not the same as holding a piece of stationery with someone else’s handwriting on it.

    I come from a family of communicators. I am told that once her eight children were grown and out of the nest, my great grandmother wrote to each one every Sunday for the rest of her life (she lived to the age of 92). Those same children started a “round robin” letter that went to the households of each sibling, in succession. Each household removed its last letter and added a new one before sending it on within the week.

    As their children grew up and left home, the list expanded. By the time I was a child, we even had “Robin” stationery, with a drawing of a robin in a circle at the top of the page. The Robin went to about seventeen households, and I remember the joy with which my grandmother or great aunt would sing out “The Robin’s come!” when that fat envelope showed up a couple of times each year. The letters it held were first read aloud, and later perused separately by the grownups in our family. Listening to those letters gave me a profound sense of connectedness. My father’s family had nothing like The Robin, and perhaps as a result, I was much hazier on those relationships. I knew every name of every member of my maternal grandmother’s family, even though I had not met most of them. I knew where they lived and how they were related. I knew which ones were favorites of my grandmother and her sister, and which were sources of worry.

    By the time I was grown The Robin had made its last flight, lost somewhere between generations. The descendants of Great Grandmother’s eight children had become too numerous, and too removed from one another by time and distance, to sustain contact. Of the original eight, only my grandmother and one her brothers were still alive. “The dear old Robin has served its purpose,” Grandmother wrote, “and it is time for it to fold its wings and rest.”

  • Travelers from Countries with Widespread Sustained Transmission of COVID-19 Arriving in the US; CDC is Working to Implement After-travel Health Precautions and EPA Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2

    CDC ResourcesCDC Badge for Corona Virus

     

    To slow the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into the United States, CDC is working with state and local public health partners to implement after-travel health precautions.

    Depending on your travel history, you will be asked to stay home for a period of 14 days from the time you left an area with widespread or ongoing community spread (Level 3 Travel Health Notice).

    Countries that have a Level 3 Travel Health Notice (widespread, ongoing transmission):

     

    COVID-19 Health Alert: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). You have traveled to a country with an outbreak of COVID-19 and are at higher risk.

    Download PDF versionpdf icon

    Stay home for 14 days from the time you left an area with widespread, ongoing community spread (Level 3 Travel Health Notice countries) and practice social distancing.

    Take these steps to monitor your health and practice social distancing:

    1. Take your temperature with a thermometer two times a day and monitor for fever. Also watch for cough or trouble breathing.
    2. Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to work or school for this 14-day period. Discuss your work situation with your employer before returning to work.
    3. Do not take public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares during the time you are practicing social distancing.
    4. Avoid crowded places (such as shopping centers and movie theaters) and limit your activities in public.
    5. Keep your distance from others (about 6 feet or 2 meters).

    What To Do If You Get Sick

    If you get sick with fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher), cough, or have trouble breathing:

    • Seek medical care. Call ahead before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room.
    • Tell your doctor about your recent travel and your symptoms.
    • Avoid contact with others.

    If you need to seek medical care for other reasons, such as dialysis, call ahead to your doctor and tell them about your recent travel to an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19.

    For additional questions on monitoring your health, contact your local public health officials pdf icon[2 pages]. 

    List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2

    The EPA-registered disinfectant products on our Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 list have qualified under EPA’s emerging viral pathogen program for use against SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses, meaning they are one of the easiest types of viruses to kill with the appropriate disinfectant product. The emerging viral pathogen guidance was triggered for SARS-CoV-2 on January 29, 2020.   

    EPA strongly recommends following the product label use directions for enveloped viruses, as indicated by the approved emerging viral pathogen claim on the master label. If the directions for use for viruses/virucidal activity list different contact times or dilutions, use the longest contact time or most concentrated solution.

    Application Information for Registrants Wanting an Emerging Viral Pathogen Claim

    A company can apply for an emerging viral pathogens claim, even before an outbreak occurs, based on previously EPA-approved claims for harder-to-kill viruses. EPA reviews the supporting information and determines if the claim is acceptable. Once approved, a company can make certain off-label claims as specified in the policy in the event of an outbreak such as the SARS-CoV-2. For instance, the company can include an efficacy statement on:

    • technical literature distributed to health care facilities, physicians, nurses, public health officials;
    • non-label-related websites;
    • consumer information services; and
    • social media sites.

    Companies with EPA-registered disinfectants that want their products added to List N, should provide the information as outlined below to disinfectantslist (disinfectantslist@epa.gov).

    1. Ensure that the product has a previously approved emerging viral pathogen claim.
    2. Provide the product name and EPA Registration number.

    Note: There may be additional disinfectants that meet the criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2. EPA will update this list with additional products as needed.

    You may need a PDF reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more.

     

  • Women Firefighters Face High Exposure to Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ Known to Interfere with Immune and Endocrine Functions and Breast Development

    By  Kara Manke

    Maiko Bristow, a firefighter and EMT with the San Francisco Fire Department, stands in her firehouse
    Maiko Bristow, a firefighter and EMT with the San Francisco Fire Department, is part of a long-term investigation into female firefighter’s risk of breast cancer. (UC Berkeley photo by Brittany Hosea-Small)

    San Francisco’s women firefighters are exposed to higher levels of certain toxic PFAS chemicals than women working in downtown San Francisco offices, shows a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, San Francisco, and Silent Spring Institute.

    Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in grease- and water-resistant coatings and can be found in fabrics, furniture and food packaging, but also notably in firefighting foam and turnout gear. These “forever chemicals,” which don’t easily break down in the environment, have been linked to a variety of cancers and are known to interfere with immune function, endocrine function and breast development.

    The study, which appears online in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, is one of the first published results from the Women Firefighter Biomonitoring Collaborative, a long-term investigation into the chemical exposures faced by women firefighters. Partners in the collaboration include the United Fire Service Women, the San Francisco Cancer Prevention Foundation, Commonweal and Breast Cancer Prevention Partners.

    “Women firefighters actually raised concern about what they have perceived as elevated rates of breast cancer among their cohort in San Francisco,” said Jessica Trowbridge, a graduate student at UC Berkeley and lead author of the paper. “As a team, we decided to conduct an exposure study looking at chemicals that are potential breast carcinogens.”

    While studies are beginning to document higher rates of cancer among firefighters and higher PFAS exposures, in particular, these studies have primarily focused on men. Documenting the risks faced specifically by women firefighters is critical to ensuring that they receive the protections they need, both for cancer prevention and for compensation if they get sick.

    “This is the first study, to our knowledge, that’s been done on women firefighters,” said Rachel Morello-Frosch, a professor of public health and of environmental science, policy and management at UC Berkeley and senior author of the paper. “The idea of characterizing women’s workplace exposures is something that few people are paying any attention to, and here, we are using the newest available technologies to start to do that.”

    San Francisco is ideal location for this investigation because it has more women firefighters than any other urban fire department in the country. Women make up approximately 15% of the San Francisco fire force, compared to about 5% nationwide. This is due, in part, to 1980s litigation and a consent decree that encouraged the department to hire more women and people of color.

    “Women firefighters have benefitted from these well-paid, very honorable professions and now are facing similar concerns about the impacts on their health that studies have demonstrated in men,” Morello-Frosch said.

    A triptych with three photos. In the upper left, a photo of firefighting boots and pants. Below that, a helmet on the floor. On the right, a photo of firefighter Maiko Bristow putting on a firefighting jacket.
    Firefighting foam and turnout gear, such as helmets, boots, and jackets, can be sources of PFAS exposure. UC Berkeley photo by Brittany Hosea-Small

  • *GAO SCIENCE & TECH SPOTLIGHT: Coronaviruses: “They can cause respiratory issues, such as pneumonia, and are believed to be one cause of the common cold”

    Editor’s Note: We have edited this GAO report slightly to eliminate a schematic but the text remains the same. As a number of SeniorWomen.com’s  readers already know, the GAO is one of our favorite sources.

    GAO-20-472SP: Published: Mar 3, 2020. Publicly Released: Mar 3, 2020.

    Additional Materials:

    Why This Matters

    Coronaviruses can spread rapidly and cause outbreaks with high mortality rates. They were not considered a major risk for humans until the SARS outbreak in 2002. Since then, there have been multiple highly contagious outbreaks originating in animals and spreading to humans — most recently the outbreak in Wuhan, China of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

    The Technology

    What is it? While the outbreak of COVID-19 in China has brought the term coronavirus into daily usage, coronaviruses can vary in severity. They can cause respiratory issues, such as pneumonia, and are believed to be one cause of the common cold. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most people will be infected by a coronavirus at some point in their lifetimes. As of March 2020, seven coronaviruses have been identified that can cause illness in humans. Most infections result in mild to moderate symptoms, such as runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, fever, and a run-down feeling.

    Coronaviruses are most commonly transmitted by coughing, sneezing, person-to-person contact, and touching objects that have viral particles on them, according to CDC. The best prevention is washing hands with soap and avoiding contact with people who are sick or work in quarantine areas. Current treatment methods are limited, and research is being fast-tracked to develop a vaccine against existing and emerging coronaviruses.

    Recent high-profile coronavirus outbreaks have raised new concern because of high mortality rates relative to the coronaviruses that cause the common cold. In addition, the severe coronaviruses can cause both upper- and lower-respiratory-tract infections, including pneumonia.

    Since 2002, there have been three severe outbreaks of respiratory illness caused by coronaviruses, all three originating in animals. In 2002, an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) began in China and had a mortality rate of approximately 10 percent. In 2012, an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) had a mortality rate reported as high as 34 percent. Most recently, a December 2019 outbreak of a new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2—which causes COVID-19—has seen a high infection rate, with over 70,000 infected and over 2,600 deaths — a mortality rate of approximately 3 percent as of February 24th, 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Estimates of the reproductive ratio, or R0, for COVID-19 have also indicated that it has the potential to spread rapidly. These estimates are tentative, however, because the R0 is a complex epidemiologic measure that is context-specific and affected by numerous biological, behavioral, and environmental factors.

    Figure 1.Electron microscope image and schematic of coronavirus particles (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and general coronavirus respectively).

    How does it work? Coronaviruses are believed to work in similar ways. Viral particles attach themselves to specific molecules, known as receptors, on the surface of a human or animal cell, allowing the virus to enter. Once inside, the virus discards its outer coating, releasing its genetic material into the host cell. This can occur in many cells at the same time. The virus can then use the cell’s own mechanisms—for example, the mechanism to produce proteins based on genetic code—to replicate itself. The hijacking of the cell’s functions causes the release of new viral particles and restarting the process, either in more cells of the same host or in another host that becomes infected. 

    Figure 2. Schematic of how a coronavirus infects host cells. This process is similar for all RNA viruses, the large class to which coronaviruses belong.

    Coronaviruses mutate rapidly compared to other viruses, enabling them to adapt to new environments. Coronaviruses are ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses, which are more prone to random mutations than deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) viruses. Because DNA viruses, like chickenpox and many others, are more stable, it is easier to create long term effective vaccines against them. In contrast, RNA viruses, like flu, may regularly require new vaccines.

    Generally, coronaviruses originate in animals, with the most likely origin being bats, and can spread from animal to animal. In environments where humans and multiple animal species mix, such as live animal markets and farms, there is an increased likelihood that a coronavirus can mutate and spread into humans. The original animal vector for SARS-CoV-2 has not yet been determined. 

    Figure 3. The recent outbreaks of coronavirus-caused diseases known to infect humans (COVID-19 numbers are confirmed and as reported by China).

    How mature are diagnostics and therapies?

    Several procedures, including diagnostic testing, are available to address coronaviruses, and are being used in the U.S. response. However, vaccines and therapies are not yet mature.>

    In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, Chinese researchers isolated the virus, sequenced its genome, and shared the results with the scientific community. The sequencing allowed CDC to develop a diagnostic test that is now being distributed to local labs. Also, based on genetic similarities, a vaccine developed for SARS has been recommended by researchers as a possible option for SARS-CoV-2. And researchers are drawing on the SARS-CoV-2 genome to help determine which aspects of the coronavirus might be used to develop a more specific vaccine against it.

    For those already infected, doctors are trying a drug originally made to treat Ebola that also works against SARS and MERS. The first U.S. patient diagnosed with COVID-19 was treated with this drug under compassionate use (a policy allowing some use of non-approved drugs), and additional antivirals are being tested.

    Opportunities

    • Identification of common targets in coronaviruses to develop vaccines against all coronaviruses.
    • Increased coordination by industry, academia, and government could improve awareness of treatment options for future outbreaks.
    • Advances in predictive infectious disease modelling to better inform decisions about interventions in future outbreaks.

    Challenges

    • For rapid deployment, potential treatments need to be prepared prior to an outbreak despite limited information and incentives.
    • Development of vaccines for RNA viruses requires frequent evaluation and reformulation. It is complex, costly, and time consuming.
    • Outbreak detection requires constant monitoring and coordination among nations, which can be impeded by more closed societies.
    • Global economic consequences of such outbreaks can be serious. According to multiple economic forecasting models, SARS cost the global economy $30-100 billion.

    Policy Context and Questions

    • To what extent are surveillance and clinical data, computational models, and information sharing mechanisms in place to promote agile and effective risk management during disease outbreaks?
    • What policies and mechanisms are in place or needed to help maintain medical supply chains during global disease outbreaks?

    For more information, contact Tim Persons at 202-512-6888 or personst@gao.gov.

    *Overview

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the “congressional watchdog,” GAO examines how taxpayer dollars are spent and provides Congress and federal agencies with objective, reliable information to help the government save money and work more efficiently.

  • It’s a Whole New World! Where Am I? What Day Is it? Never Mind That, What Century Is It?

    By Rose Madeline MulaGottex Bathing Suits

    Where am I?  What day is it?  Never mind that, what century is it? I often feel I was abducted, stuffed into a time machine, and unceremoniously dumped out in the far distant future.

    Right Gottex Bathing Suits on show: Government Press Office

    It’s very confusing.  The inhabitants of this new environment look similar to those I knew in the late 1900’s and early 2000’s; but a lot is different.  Their clothes, for example. Many of these people (especially the young) are dressed in rags — jeans with gaping holes in the knees and frayed hems. Also, a large number of them have a myriad of multi-colored tattoos covering their arms, legs, and other body parts that I had never before seen exposed but which are now unashamedly visible. 

    In addition, many of these aliens (which is how I perceive them — certainly they must be from another planet) have strange hair.  It’s often purple, pink, or multi-colored and apparently has never been brushed or combed.  It stands on end or is twisted into various snarled configurations. And they must have major problems going through airport security metal detectors because of all the “decorative” hardware piercing their tongues, eyebrows, navels, nipples, and noses.  Ouch!

    Another oddity — everyone today walks around clutching a water bottle in one hand and a tiny, flat, rectangular object that they claim is a telephone in the other. Huh? If that’s a telephone, no wonder they have no idea what we mean when we tell the to “hang up the phone” or if we complain that the phone is “ringing off the hook.”  They are also baffled when we talk about “dialing” a number.  

    But then we are equally bewildered when they complain that someone has “ghosted” them or they describe something as “dope” or “lit.”  And there’s no use trying to learn their language because it will be obsolete by Tuesday and replaced with entirely new gobbledygook.

     If these kids were transported back to the past, they would be lost.  Literally.  No GPS back then.  We had to rely, instead on large, unwieldy, impossible-to-refold road maps or high-tech (for that era) AAA TripTiks — a series of spiral-bound map segments which divided even cross-country jaunts into small, manageable bits.

    And while many of my generation are unfamiliar with same-sex couples, Siri, Alexa, Google, Bixby or a tech support guy or gal, our grandkids never met a bowling alley pin boy, an elevator operator, a milkman, an iceman, a movie theater usher, or a virgin bride. Nor do they have to watch a movie sitting upright in an uncomfortable narrow seat in a crowded row, often behind someone tall who blocks most of the screen. And they would be very disappointed that all they could have to eat was popcorn or a candy bar — no burgers, tacos, fries, or a full-course dinner if that’s what their taste buds craved and their allowances could stretch to cover. Fortunately, today those allowances are exponentially higher than the 25 cents a week I considered a windfall.

     Even more punishing than spartan rations at the movies would be the paucity of TV channels to choose from at home and having to watch them on a 10-inch black and white screen — and, worse yet, not having a remote and being forced to trek across four feet of shag carpeting to change the channel.  They would probably phone Child Protective Services and report their parents for abuse.

    As for that carpeting, my teen years bedroom floor was actually covered in orange shag which I thought was beautiful. Certainly much prettier than a bare floor.  Though today shiny hardwood is prized, back then we considered it ugly and couldn’t wait to cover it with plush carpeting if we could possibly afford it.  Wall-to-wall was a status symbol, Baby.  As was colorful, patterned wallpaper.  In that era no self-respecting wall would be seen dressed only in a coat of paint.

    Another thing that perplexes today’s youth is the pay phone — a cumbersome apparatus either hanging on the wall of a public building or, even stranger, enclosed in a shower-stall-like box. When these disappeared, we old-timers wondered where Clark Kent would go to transform into Superman.  

    If today’s kids saw us boarding a plane way back when, they would assume we must be flying to attend a royal wedding or equally posh affair.  No jeans, tee shirts, or sneakers for us no matter what the purpose of our trip.  The journey itself was a special occasion, and we dressed for it.  Suits, shirts and ties for the men; and for the women, frilly frocks, girdles, stockings (with seams up the back that were a challenge to keep straight), sometimes even hats and white gloves, and always high-heeled shoes which were de rigueur even while sightseeing when we arrived at our destination. Comfort be damned.

    I traipsed the seven cobble-stoned hills of Rome in high heels.  I was in agony, but I looked stylish. And we were certainly overdressed on European beaches in our skirted one-piece bathing suits. Bikinis hadn’t yet made it across the pond when I took my first trip to the French Riviera, but they were brazenly prevalent there. Body parts previously seen only by surgeons and spouses decorated the sands and sea.  I couldn’t believe it! I knew my friends back home wouldn’t either, so I surreptitiously attached my close-up lens onto my camera (no easy zoom back then) to snap some evidence. Today we see more skin on shoppers at the supermarket than I did on that beach in Nice.

    Yes, the times they are a-changin’. Wonder what life will be like a decade or two from now. Maybe instead of large, flat-screen smart TVs, 3D life-size images will materialize in our living rooms on demand, and those living rooms will transform into a tropical beach, a Parisian sidewalk café, a gondola in the Grand Canal — or any other location we ask Alexa or her successor to summon.

    Unfortunately, at my age I won’t be here to experience these wonders unless someone invents a miraculous rejuvenation process. 

    Hey, it’s possible!  I just hope they also conjure up a money machine to finance my extended stay.

    ©2020 Rose Madeline Mula for SeniorWomen.com

     

     

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