What Should You Do When Employees Exhibit COVID Symptoms?

Scenario: Two of your employees exhibit COVID-19 symptoms: Vicky, who’s fully vaccinated, and Andy, an anti-vaxxer who’s not vaccinated.

Question: Which, if either, employee should you send home?

Answer: Both

Explanation: Unless you’re a healthcare provider or facility, you shouldn’t let anybody displaying COVID-19 symptoms into the workplace regardless of their vaccination status. Unlike Vicky who can just ride it out at home, Andy needs to stay in self-isolation until either his symptoms resolve or he tests negative for COVID-19 via molecular test—a rapid antigen test isn’t enough to clear him for return.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 response protocols dictate that you perform contact tracing and notify any person with whom Andy has had close and prolonged contact at work of their own potential exposure. Of course, you’ll have to do the same for Vicky if she’s confirmed as having COVID despite having been vaccinated.