How to Avoid Ebola as a Corporate Organization
Ensuring employee health and safety is critical to productivity and success, especially considering the resurgence of the Ebola virus and the still troubling COVID-19 realities plaguing different regions of the world.
While businesses must continue their operations (an essential part of business operations is business trips), ensuring that employees who travel through high-risk regions are availed of all the safety requirements is the employer’s duty.
From interaction with indigenes and locals to security and personal health, recognizing and avoiding Ebola hot spots, employers must ensure that employees have all they need to stay safe abroad.
Keep reading to ensure you’re up to date on the latest advice and tips to keep your business travelers safe.
Steps Business Travelers Can Take To Avoid Ebola In High-Risk Regions
Frequent business travelers risk getting infected with the deadly and highly contagious Ebola virus, especially if they travel through high-risk regions like Sudan, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, etc.
While transmission of the virus requires direct contact with body fluids, secretions, and blood of animals or dead persons, which may seem unlikely for the average business traveler, employees need to be aware of safety measures and tips to follow to minimize exposure. They include:
- Practicing Good Hygiene
- Avoid Touching People or Surfaces Directly
- Avoid high-risk areas and activities
- Avoid unprotected sex
- Do Not Touch Wild Animals
Practicing Good Hygiene
Employees should maintain good personal hygiene, especially in regions with high Ebola virus occurrences. Travelers should always keep an alcohol-based sanitizer handy for emergencies.
Avoid Touching People or Surfaces Directly
If you’re a business traveler passing through areas affected by the Ebola virus, stay away from those who have died from the Ebola virus, unknown illnesses, tissues, body fluids of sick people, contaminated surfaces, and so forth.
Body fluids to avoid include but are not limited to: vaginal fluid, breast milk, semen, sweat, saliva, vomit, feces, urine, and so forth.
Avoid high-risk areas and activities
Business travelers should avoid high-risk areas as this considerably reduces the risk of exposure to the virus. Also, use safety precautions such as goggles, gowns, gloves, masks, and so forth.
Avoid unprotected sex
Employees traveling for business should avoid engaging in unprotected sexual activity with sick persons or persons who have just recovered from the illness. The virus can survive for an extended period, and travelers must practice safe sex.
Do Not Touch Wild Animals
Endeavor to avoid contact with wild animals, especially those known to carry the virus. They include Forest antelopes, Porcupines, Fruit bats, Chimpanzees, Monkeys, and Gorillas.
Conclusion
While the Ebola virus is a very deadly disease, it doesn’t have to affect your business or the health of your employees. If you follow these steps, your business and your employees can be safe from the effects of the virus and avoid ebola.
