05/13/2022

Prepare Your Organization for the Next COVID Wave

Reminder: the pandemic isn't over

Leaders of companies in the United States and many other parts of the world are breathing a sigh of relief as the Omicron BA.1 surge is in the past with higher community immunity, new effective treatments, and plentiful tests and vaccines. But with the Omicron BA.2 strain and its descendants becoming dominant and immunity from infections and vaccinations waning, the pandemic is not over and companies must be prepared for whatever the pandemic throws at them next.

This article outlines four actions leaders can take now to increase the safety of their employees and decrease business disruption in the event of future community outbreaks.

The Pandemic Isn’t Over
Cases of COVID-19 rose steeply in Europe in March, are still high in parts of Asia and North America, and U.S. officials are warning of a fall surge. Meanwhile, the last country with a zero-tolerance policy against the coronavirus, China, is struggling to contain the virus. Beyond this situation, there are reasons to fear there will continue to be future outbreaks or waves of COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, can spread from humans to mammals and back, driving the virus to mutate in ways difficult to anticipate. More than 5.2 million refugees from the war on the Ukraine will increase global risk as refugees have reduced access to tests, vaccines, and the ability to quarantine or isolate. Simultaneously, waning immunity against the coronavirus or variants that don’t respond to widely-used vaccines will make transmission more likely.

Please select this link to read the complete article from the Harvard Business Review.