New Study Finds 1 in 4 Workers Are at High Risk for COVID-19 as States Reopen

As states across the country begin to reopen, most franchise brands, particularly food service franchises, are hoping for a quick return to normal. Of course, if we’ve learned anything over the past few months, it's that things are never that simple. According to a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation, almost one in four U.S. workers is at “high risk for serious complications” from COVID-19 if infected with the novel coronavirus.

The analysis estimated “37.7 million workers, or 24% of employed U.S. adults in 2018, are at high risk, including 10 million who are 65 years or older and an additional 27.7 million with pre-existing medical conditions.”

Roughly two-thirds of Americans think everyone should be tested for the disease before returning back to their jobs, according to a recent survey by healthinsurance.com. However, nearly five months into the national public health emergency, the country still lacks the necessary testing system to pinpoint new outbreaks and quickly tamp down on potential transmission, even as infections are increasing in at least 27 states. COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen more than 10% in at least nine states since Memorial Day, according to data tracked by the Washington Post.

No brands want to reclose stores immediately after reopening. Many of the nation’s largest franchise chains, including McDonald's, Denny's, KFC, Taco Bell and Potbelly have implemented various system-wide safety standards to minimize COVID-19 exposure, such as requiring temperature checks and requiring staff to wear masks and gloves. Restaurants have also designated staff members to sanitize tables after use and make sure guests are following social distancing standards.

Of course, the big question moving forward is what business owners should do if they find that an employee tests positive for COVID-19. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests restaurants that learn of a sick worker close off all areas used by that person, wait 24 hours, then clean and disinfect them. If waiting a day isn’t “feasible,” the CDC recommends that restaurants wait as long as possible.

State and local rules differ depending on the area. In Washington, for example, a restaurant where a worker has tested positive must close for 24 to 48 hours for cleaning and can reopen only on the advice of the D.C. Department of Health. Most states aren’t as restrictive or specific. In Texas, for example, the rule is that a sick worker be sent home until he or she meets certain standards. South Carolina’s reopening guidelines say only that workers exposed to or diagnosed with the virus should be “excluded.”

Every day new information is coming out that could throw a wrench into reopening plans, but the more brands stay up-to-date with relevant knowledge, the better they will be prepared to curb infection and promote safety.