Thread by @KashPrime

Workplaces across North America are opening up, I have serious concerns that by not requiring masks in indoor workplaces we are going to see a huge resurgence in a few weeks and another shutdown.
#onpoli #Covid_19 #coronavirus
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I've had patients who work in essential industries complain that their colleagues and foremen would get into their faces and ignore social distancing rules. This means messaging is either non-existent or not translating to the front-lines.
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Some large companies are taking the initiative and have excellent policies.
Smaller firms, those likely to employ low-wage part-time workers, the kind who are less likely to speak out, will not be so careful.
This 'soft-underbelly' of the economy is just ripe for disease spread

In Germany many companies adopted lessons from their Chinese branch plants, and management of these companies work in close collaboration with their employees as German companies do through work councils. These companies have a head start over ours
wsj.com/articles/how-g…
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Basic things like
- Masking for all employees
- Taking temps on entry
- Bring your own lunch, no office caf
- Change into uniforms before arriving on floor
- Cohort the same workers on a shift, limit infections
- Shorten shifts by 15 mins, brief the next shift by email
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- cleaning teams go around cleaning handles, knobs, buttons, common surfaces
- Workers enter in a single file, keeping a distance of 6 feet from each other
- Aisles are one-way to minimize interaction
- Workers dont pass tools by hand, they set them down for pick up by others
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Offices can adopt similar ideas
- Alternate days for workers
- Stagger arrival times
- Avoid meetings, shut small conference rooms
- Map out traffic flow, more one-way flows
- Limit elevators to one rider, use stairs
- Gloves, masks, sanitizer for all
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cushmanwakefield.com/en/netherlands…

Official guidelines from public health agencies are all over the place. In the US, the OSHA and CDC have some detailed guidelines and recommend cloth masks covering in close quarters indoor spaces where social distancing is not possible
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cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…

The Public Health Agency of Canada's guidelines are fairly basic in comparison and make no mention of masks at all. This is especially curious considering Dr. Theresa Tam's public support of masking in close quarters
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canada.ca/en/public-heal…

In comparison, New York State has fairly explicit guidelines requiring masking in most areas
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governor.ny.gov/news/amid-ongo…

What's really puzzling is the very basic information provided by Ontario public health to workplaces, and no sign of compliance or inspections whatsoever. There should at least be an anonymous tip-line or monitoring of some sort
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ontario.ca/page/resources…

Mark my words, we will see a completely unnecessary worsening of caseloads soon. We need clear guidance on indoor masking by public health authorities that brings us up to what Germany, China and others are doing. We can't keep learning everything the hard way!
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@jkwan_md @Samir_Grover @masood_sameer @jvipondmd @DFisman @VoiceOfFranky @fordnation @celliottability @IrfanDhalla @TheSGEM @NarayanMD
@md_butcher

#Masks4All #Masks4Canada #MasksNow #Masks