Offices and worksites continue to steadily reopen during the coronavirus crisis, even as case numbers rise throughout most of the country. For organizations that need employees working in-person, COVID-19 symptom screener apps and platforms help keep teams safe in more ways than one. Here’s how.
What is a Symptom Screener?
With the onset of coronavirus, public health officials and employers alike struggled to monitor symptoms for in-person work and activities. However, more than seven months into the pandemic, countless companies have released new platforms that help teams screen employees for symptoms before they arrive for a work shift.
These assessments range in scope and capabilities. Some ask simple, direct questions about temperature, travel, and potential exposure. Others gather detailed data that can be used to keep track of any potential outbreaks in your workplace.
Regardless, each has two goals in mind:
- Reduce risk of infection in the workplace
- Flatten the curve
Do Symptom Screening Apps Help Keep Workplaces Safe?
In short, yes. When combined with a proactive safety strategy, employers can help mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection in their workplace by utilizing symptom screening apps and platforms.
However, screening will not help you identify the following individuals:
- People who are not showing symptoms yet
- People who are asymptomatic
This is why a COVID-19 workplace safety plan is so important. Your plan should be treated like any other safety protocol or contingency plan. HR teams need to know exactly what they can and can’t do to keep people safe, and these measures need to be included to do just that. Make sure to include symptom screening solutions in these blueprints.
Not only that, but screeners can save organizations time and money in the long run. If an employee has potentially been exposed to coronavirus—which could be identified using a symptom screener—requiring them to work remotely might result in a slight downtick in production while they’re out of the office. With that said, the results could be much more devastating if the worker is asymptomatic and infects others.
What Screening App Options Are Available?
Thankfully, there are many different options available for apps and websites that administer symptom assessments. A few notable examples include:
- Aduro: The COVID-19 Screening App from Aduro combines a CDC-aligned symptom questionnaire with remote monitoring and onsite check-in functionality, and workers are required to fill out before they’re permitted on worksites.
- Apple: The tech giant built a comprehensive screening tool (which can be found at apple.com/covid19) that provides details about testing, updates, and even a set of next steps for individuals if they’re at risk of infection.
- GoCanvas: The Daily Employee Screening Log that comes from GoCanvas collects employee symptoms, temperatures, and even travel history. Even better, all of this information is easily reviewable with a built-in dashboard. Plus, there’s an option for HR pros to activate HIPAA compliance and properly secure data.
- Mayo Clinic: The highly regarded Mayo Clinic constructed a free-to-use self-assessment tool that determines whether individuals need to be tested for COVID-19. While not as high-tech as some paid solutions, the assessment presents an excellent option for smaller organizations who just want teams to stay on top of their health.
- State and Local Tools: Depending on where you live, your state or local government may have implemented a self-assessment tool for area organizations. There’s also a chance that a more localized platform may offer more relevant details regarding testing and prevention.
Next, integrate your solution into your COVID-19 workplace safety plan. The more thorough you are with this strategy, the better chance you have at preventing an outbreak.
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