Many people on the job are susceptible to contracting the COVID-19 virus. Workers in the health care industry obviously have the greatest risk due to their day-to-day and person-to-person contact with patients who have the virus or suspected of having the virus. This group includes doctors, nurses, lab technicians and workers in clinics, hospitals as well as people employed by nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
But the list runs the gamut and includes first responders, retail workers, restaurant workers, cashiers, flight attendants, teachers, correctional officers and bus drivers. Any one of these workers be exposed to the virus while on the job and become sick with COVID-19.
Health care workers top the list
Here are some categories and listings of occupations that are the most susceptible to contracting COVID-19:
Extremely high risk: People exposed to suspected or known sources of the virus when working during medical, postmortem or laboratory settings and procedures. This may include health care workers collecting and handling specimens from patients suspected of having the virus as well morgue workers dealing with infected bodies. The list of workers includes nurses, physicians, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, attendants in nursing home and assisted living settings, dentists and dental hygienists.
High risk: Workers who face the strong potential of exposure to known and suspected sources of COVID-19. This group includes first responders, paramedics, firefighters, personal care aides, home health workers dealing with COVID-19 patients as well as mortuary workers working with the bodies of people who had the virus or suspected of having the virus upon their deaths.
Medium risk: People who serve in roles that require frequent and close contact with others who may be infected. This category includes workers who have regular contact with the general public or in work environments with a high-population density. These roles include teachers, teaching assistants, retail workers, medical technicians, cashiers, fast-food workers, amusement park attendants, child-care workers, bus drivers, correctional officers, flight attendants, hair stylists, food preparation workers and food servers, social workers, pharmacists, veterinarians, physical therapists and occupational therapy workers.
If you contract COVID-19 through your everyday job duties, you must self-quarantine and may even contract the illness. Another result of this situation: You may be unable to work. This could lead to down the path toward workers’ compensation benefits.
