4. Health and Safety (of all, including employees)
Return to June 2021 update
Length: 8 min read; 1,683 words.
Note: The following paragraphs summarize the category of Health and Safety (H&S) observed in June. More information about the specific category from June (and previous months) can be found in the downloaded report(s).The number in square brackets (e.g., [X]) refers to a reference where the reader can find more information about a specific statement. The references can be found in the References list below, on the Systematized References page or in the downloaded report.
H&S have been discussed 17% less in June than in March (18% vs. 21.8%) in line with overall less talks about COVID and the vaccination success in Western countries, while many other countries are facing worrisome new surges in infections. [105][218] Vaccination related topics: vaccine rollouts (roughly 20% of the world’s people have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine; the speed with which the remaining 80% are vaccinated will mean the difference between life and death for a staggering number of people probably in the millions) [7], developed countries are piling up the vaccine orders for the next two years, furthering divide between rich and poor [8][9][10], though thru Covax program millions of doses should be shared with poor countries [11][12], fake vaccines emergence [13], vaccine cost ($5-$7 per dose), vaccination requirements (for healthcare workers)[14], vaccination hesitancy [15], vaccine risks (such as heart inflammation) [16], vaccine for children under 12 [17], vaccine effectiveness [18], re-infection of fully vaccinated (with Sinovac) [19], and loose vaccine requirements with incentives for employees [20]. The dangerous Delta variant (called “COVID on steroids” [21]) is wracking the reopening plans, and initiating lockdowns in countries that have smoothly sailed the pandemic till now such as New Zealand, Taiwan and Australia. Mainland China and the US are the best places to be in June regarding the Delta surge.[22][23][24][25][26][27][28] A fresh wave of COVID-19 clusters in Asia is creating new bottlenecks in the global supply chain. [27] Mid of June Delta variant accounted for 10% of COVID-19 cases in the US though it was spreading rapidly. [21][29] Africa, where just 1.1% of people are fully vaccinated and healthcare systems are weak, is suffering a Delta-variant surge. [30]
COVID-19 surge in India in May is a fearful reminder that we are still in the midst of the pandemic; in one week, nearly 28,000 people died and more than 2.3M new cases were reported. This outbreak has affected raw materials, manufacturing across multiple industries in June. [3][4][5] The outbreak in Brazil is at alarming rates (killing the children as well). [6] The US has passed 600,000 deaths, which means that on average, COVID-19 deaths in the US in 2020 have caused a loss of 14 life years, more loss than to all accidents combined in a typical year. [219] COVID-19 is raging in South America, where the death rate per capita is eight times the world’s rate.[31] Other H&S topics include safe school reopening in person (with masks and distancing rules) [32], mask mandates for unvaccinated [33][34], COVID symptoms (such as significant impact on brain even in mild cases) [35], long-haulers [36][37], and origins of COVID-19 [38][39][40][41]. Digital health topics are booming. [42] [43]
More people have died from COVID-19 already this year than in all of 2020. [27] The devastation in India is among the saddest unanticipated turns in the pandemic. After the first wave of the disease faded quickly in ‘20, the current disaster took the lives of nearly 28,000 people in one week last month, amid 2.3M new reported cases. The world should act with support for oxygen and vaccine production and distribution. Such help not only serves a humanitarian purpose but also lowers the risk that variants will threaten recoveries elsewhere. [3][4][5] COVID-19 tested the world’s ability to monitor and respond to an outbreak of a deadly infectious disease. The results were mixed at best. To avoid a repeat, the world’s public-health agencies could invest $357B over the next decade. That’s about $5 per person, per year. [44]
The percentage of Americans yet to receive a first dose remains in the mid 40s. The US construction workers’ skepticism about COVID-19 vaccinations is raising issues for employers and public health officials. Workers are telling pollsters that they don’t trust the vaccine (or the government providing it), and misinformation continues to blossom online. People mistakenly believe the process of getting the vaccines to market was accelerated “in a way that makes it unsafe or that corners have been cut.” There is a political divide as well: a Gallup poll in February found that 91% of Democrats and 51% of Republicans were willing to get the shot. Education, mandates and incentives (such as paid time off, gift cards and even permission to work without a mask) are the only way going forward. Mandates are coming primarily from companies that work in healthcare settings [15]
COVID-19 travel restrictions are straining companies reliant on foreign professionals or seasonal hires who cannot enter the US. [14] Leisure travel resumes slowly [45][46][47][48]. Over 2M airport travelers screened in one day in June, making it the highest since March ’20. [49] American are finally free to travel to Europe [50][51], though Europeans are still not allowed into the US. Hong Kong and Taiwan also joined the EU’s updated "white list" of countries from which non-essential travel is allowed. Canada – US border remained closed till July for leisure travel. [52]
US healthcare consumers say they gained weight, exercised less, and delayed care throughout the pandemic. Their view of healthcare providers and what they want in the future changed too, according to McKinsey surveys. Healthcare providers should adapt to the post-COVID-19 environment by focusing on the “whole person” and offering incentives to both consumers and providers to research costs and options. [5] Some of the health repercussions of the pandemic are indirect, such as the side effect of fewer people seeking treatment for mental and behavioral health problems. McKinsey believes 5 pillars of preparedness for future pandemics can be built for $357B: 1) “always on” systems (communication and messaging, border health, supply-chain preparation (global stockpile), emergency operations); 2) disease surveillance (US National Public Health Institutes, pathogen surveillance/ sequencing, specialized surveillance programs, notifiable-disease and Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) – like surveillance, population-representative surveillance foundation, data integration); 3) prevention agenda (global immunization, limited human-wildlife interactions, mapped global virome, contained antimicrobial resistance); 4) healthcare capacity (assessed and closed gaps in healthcare systems); and 5) R&D (new antiviral, antibody, and vaccine platforms; scaled vaccine-manufacturing capacity; closed known vaccine/ therapeutic gaps). [5] COVID-19 exposed some gaps in the world’s pandemic preparations. To close those will require substantial investment in the next couple of years, and then a smaller steady-state investment in following years – to avoid “panic, neglect, panic, neglect” mode. [220]
The first mile, not the last, is the key to healthcare. According to the CDC, 90% of the US $3.8T in healthcare spending goes toward the treatment of mental health conditions and stress-related chronic diseases that can be managed and even prevented, like heart disease and diabetes. The last mile isn’t just a very late intervention point, it’s a very costly one, in both lives and money. “Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is really about wellness and a capacity to thrive.” An estimated 80 to 90% of our health is due to what are known as social determinants of health; housing, food, education, job security. These are key levers that promote health, a critical part of the first mile of healthcare. We need to be putting a lot more time and attention on prediction and prevention. A first-mile approach means not only bringing public health and medicine back together, but enlisting businesses, medical providers, government and nonprofits in the collective effort. The first mile also means prioritizing mental health and no longer thinking of it as distinct from our physical health. And simple behavioral interventions, including sleep, meditation or conscious breathing, getting enough movement in our day, eating a diet with less sugar and processed food and making time to unplug and recharge, can make a big difference in both our physical health and mental health. [221]
It will take time for the mental health crisis to lessen. Workers are quitting their jobs to put their mental health and wellbeing first. Work-life balance, flexibility and mental health are front-of-mind for employees as they look to their employers for certainty about the future. [145] Wellbeing is crucial for many employees, with more than three-quarters of respondents to a survey from Arizona State University, the World Economic Forum and the Rockefeller Foundation saying employee mental health is now a top priority. [145] Organizations can help their anxious and burned-out employees with adopting more flexible hybrid virtual-working models. [222] Working less might be able to solve all our problems. [223] Returning to normal does not have to include pressure. Be honest with yourself. If you like the energy of a big crowd, say no to that intimate coffee and parry with a trip to a concert. If you hate going out, invite people to come over. Tell people the real reasons you’re saying no for things you say no to. [224]
Neurodiversity and biophilia are the future of the workspace in the post-pandemic era. Neurodiversity refers to the natural variations in the human brain of each individual in relation to sociability, learning, attention, mood, and other cognitive functions. Only 50% of people feel that their offices support them in terms of neurodiversity, and a worrying 78% say they would like more flexibility in their work options, driven by the desire to increase productivity and achieve a better balance between life and work. Investing in biophilia makes a lot of sense in the post-pandemic, thinking about the symbiosis between nature and the built space and the development of projects that insert buildings and users in the biological world. Research published by the polish office Workplace points out that 58% of workspaces in the world have no vegetation. Scientific analyzes raise clear data about the benefits in the physical and psychological health of being in spaces designed with vegetation: research from the University of Exeter (EU) shows that employees in contact with nature are 15% more productive and motivated than those who work in a sterile environment; report called The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace records a 15% increase in creativity in people who work in environments with natural plants; it is estimated that in a room with a sufficient number of plants, the amount of bacterial colonies is reduced by 60%; it was observed that headaches decrease by 24% and eye irritation by 52%. Other studies have been developed and among them, research by Harvard’s Center for Health and the Global Environment demonstrated that the user of a building with high performance in sustainability has high cognitive functions, fewer symptoms of diseases, and a better quality of life. An American Psychological Society report suggests that an office with many plants increases employee engagement, productivity, and wellbeing. [36]