In the wake of COVID-19, a new way of living — and working — has presented a stressful situation for employers and employees alike. As many companies move to remote work to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, there are so many questions swirling around about the virus and how to communicate with your workforce about it. Below are answers to some of the most pressing questions, including what a pandemic means for employers and how to take sick leave.
What exactly is a novel coronavirus and how does it spread?
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause respiratory symptoms, including the common cold and more severe infections like pneumonia. COVID-19 is the name of the disease that’s caused by this new coronavirus — COVID stands for corona CO, virus VI, disease D. This particular coronavirus is novel, meaning that we have not seen it before in humans. Patients with COVID-19 will be evaluated and cared for differently than patients who have common coronavirus disease.
