Google the word “Coronavirus”, and 4 billion results appear. Major broadcast stations, newspapers, publications – all rush to bring you the latest updates of this global pandemic and global health emergency, as declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) just hours ago.  And it’s better you read this article in the comfort of your disinfected home.

This new strain of the virus has spread to over 114 countries, with 120,000 plus infected and 4,000 over deaths to date and growing, causing economics unprecedented losses, with countries such as Italy tightening its quarantine measures and the United States imposing bands on flights to Europe.

Impact of the Deadly Covid-19

Not too sure about the level of severity of this pandemic? Let us glimpse into some of the worst events that affected several major organisations across the world due to the virus:

No. 1: Major Events and Conferences Cancelled

Such as Facebook’s F8, the Geneva Motor Show, Google I/O, Mobile World Congress and many more. Last week Google’s commemoration of International Women’s Day which falls on 8 March to be held at Jakarta, was also canceled due to the coronavirus scare.

No. 2: Factories Production and Customer Purchases Slowdown  

In efforts to try and contain the virus, China factories cease their factories’ operations dramatically, resulting in production slowdown and affecting close to 300 million workers, such as those who work for industrial equipment manufacturer JCB and carmaker Nissan.

Meanwhile in Indonesia, the key supplies of machinery and raw materials from China could be running out as the countries’ import close to USD 10 billion worth of boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances from China could be halted.

No. 3: Stock Markets and Industries’ Financial Condition Plunges

The business travel industry takes a big hit and expected to lose USD 820 billion in revenue due to virus – China sees a 95% drop in business travel, expected to lose USD404.1 billion in revenue in corporate travel followed by USD 190.5 billion loss for Europe.

How Do You Know You Have It

We won’t overload you with more information about the virus since there is already aplenty online to give you an idea of its origins and how it spreads. However, the golden question is: how do you know if you have it? With an incubation period of 14 days, and possibly longer – it makes it all the more difficult to spot someone who is infected. 

Based on the observation of the infected, you will show these prominent symptoms that will gradually worsen as they persist over time; body temperature which exceeds 37.5 Degrees Celsius (fever), sore throat or dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle pain, and extreme tiredness.

During such dire times, we at Elabram cannot emphasise taking the necessary precautions more seriously and we take our employees’ safety and health to the highest level of scrutiny. Besides keeping track of the virus’ latest updates, below are the steps we carry our meticulously: 

1. Temperature checks are carried out regularly upon every management staff whenever they enter the office. 

2. We are aware of the following symptoms and will get our staff to seek medical attention.

3. Should they exhibit any of these signs above, they are allowed to leave the office and be directed to the clinic immediately for further checkup.

4. However, if they have been cleared by the medical practitioner and given the health condition letter, they will be allowed to enter the office again while wearing a face mask. 

5. To ensure our staff are risk-infection free and prevent the possible spread, each of them is provided with free masks and hand sanitizers.

While it looks like the virus is here to stay for the entire year, businesses and daily routines will have to go on while we relay our best hope for our scientists to come up with the vaccine as soon as possible. Employers have the obligation to ensure that the workplace and its work carried out does not have a negative impact on the safety and health of their employees. 

Hence, let us be constantly reminded to always cultivate these health habits:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are sick or unwell, keep your distance from others. 
• Stay home from work, or running errands when you are sick to prevent spreading your illness to others.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth as germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or napkin when coughing or sneezing.
• Clean your hands by washing it often for at least 20 seconds, which is proven to help protect you from germs. Should soap or water be unavailable, use alcohol-based hand rub with at least 60% ethyl alcohol.
• Practice good health habits by using regular household cleaning spray or wipe to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces at home or work.

Besides that, this would be an excellent time to use Elabram’s Workforce Management System (WMS) Mobile Attendance system to inform your superiors on your whereabouts without touching any surfaces except your phones. With just a single touch, verify your work attendance hassle-free today!