With the cases of Monkeypox (MPV) on the rise, employers should be thinking about how they will handle an employee who contracts the virus. Before you panic, take a breath, employers should know that MPV appears to be much less risky for employers and their employees compared to COVID-19. That said, there are steps employers can take.
What we Know Now
There are several key differences that employers should note between MPV and COVID-19 — the most important of which is how the disease is spread. According to the CDC, MPV is not an airborne disease, rather it spreads primarily through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact, such as:
- Direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox.
- Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
- Contact with respiratory secretions — usually from prolonged face-to-face contact.
- Intimate contact, including:
- Sex and sexual contact
- Hugging, massage, and kissing
- Prolonged face-to-face contact
- Touching fabrics and objects during sex that were used by a person with monkeypox and that have not been disinfected, such as bedding, towels, and sex toys
While MPV can be transmitted through respiratory secretions, through prolonged face-to-face contact, it is not considered an airborne disease like COVID-19. According to the CDC, in social gatherings, the amount of close, personal, skin-to-skin contact drives the risk of transmission. For many businesses, the risk of MPV spread or outbreaks at work is likely low.
The CDC has identified the following symptoms of MPV:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
- Respiratory symptoms (e.g., sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
- A rash that will go through several stages, including scabbing, before healing.
According to the CDC, symptoms usually present within three weeks of exposure to the virus. It may take up to four days for a rash to present following onset of flu-like symptoms.
What an Employer Should Do
Although MPV is less easily transmitted than COVID-19, there are several considerations employers may want to consider in terms of addressing positive MPV cases in the workplace.
1. Safety Prevention Plans:
Employers may wish to take proactive measures to educate their employees and avoid misinformation in the workplace. These measures may include communicating to employees how MPV can be transmitted, encouraging employees to remain home when ill, and encouraging employees to take precautions to wash their hands and disinfect their work areas, and maintaining sanitizer and other disinfecting products to help ensure the safety of the workplace. Like COVID-19, plans may vary based on the workplace. For example, the CDC has issued specialized guidance for healthcare and congregate workplace settings: Infection Prevention and Control of Monkeypox in Healthcare Settings.
2. Isolation When an Employee is Diagnosed with MPV:
The CDC advises that individuals who have MPV should isolate and remain outside of the workplace for the duration of their illness, until all symptoms have resolved. This may last anywhere from two weeks to four weeks and may vary by individual.
Note: The CDC has not yet issued official guidance for employers outside of healthcare and congregate setting workplaces.
Employers with employees who test positive for MPV should encourage them to isolate and remain out from work, and to consult with their healthcare providers and local health departments. Local health departments around the country are tracking and issuing guidance on how to address cases of MPV.
3. Close Contact Notification and Quarantine:
Other than employers of healthcare and congregate care settings, the CDC has not issued any guidance regarding whether employers should notify employees who have had direct contact with someone positive for MPV while they were symptomatic, to encourage exposed employees to monitor themselves for symptoms. CDC’s guidance for exposure does not recommend quarantine at this time, provided that the exposed individuals remain asymptomatic. Instead, the guidance supports recommending exposed individuals monitor themselves for symptoms for up to 21 days and take their temperatures twice daily. Provided that exposed individuals remain asymptomatic, the CDC guidance states that exposed individuals may continue daily activities, including attending work or school.
As new information is released, Hubric Resources will keep you updated.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have,
Yours in HR,
Tom Hubric