Keeping Your NEMT Business in Operation During the Coronavirus Pandemic
With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe, it’s important to understand everything there is to know about the Coronavirus disease and what you can do in the NEMT field to educate and protect your employees from any unnecessary exposures and risks. Listed below are some preventative measures that have been outlined by both the CDC and the World Health Organization.
Hand Sanitizer and Tissues
Keep your NEMT office and vehicles stocked with tissues and hand sanitizer if you can. Simple things like coughing and sneezing into a tissue or into the inside of your elbow can go a long way in the prevention of spreading unwanted germs and pathogens.
Disinfectant Wipes
While disinfectant wipes are capable of killing COVID-19 on contact, it would be very difficult to constantly disinfect every surface you come in contact with. Instead, focus on high traffic areas such as sinks, doorknobs, steering wheels, car door handles, accessibility devices such as wheelchairs, walkers or stretchers.
Masks
Inform your drivers that if they are healthy and have not tested positive for COVID-19, then they do NOT have to wear masks. Masks should only be worn by people that are sick or by people that are constantly coming into close contact with infected people.
Rubber Gloves
Rubber gloves are NOT recommended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. If your gloves become contaminated, any surface your gloves come into contact with could also become contaminated. Rubber gloves are typically used by healthcare workers and are disposed of as soon as the worker is finished with a patient. They are not intended for any kind of long term use.
Physical Contact
Avoid physical contact with your face, eyes and with other people. Handshakes are not recommended. Instead, a wave, nod or bow are encouraged to help minimize the spread of pathogens.
How CoronaVirus impacts on NEMT industry you can check in the previous article.