The COVID-19 pandemic: Biological threat versus work and society

Abstract

The Covid-19 officially declared a pandemic, since March 11, 2020, spreading in several countries around the world, at the same time affecting hundreds of thousands of people on all continents, causing a large number of deaths, to the date, continues to claim fatalities; However, although there are populations at higher risk (elderly, diabetics, hypertension, among others), at the same time, workers are exposed to a common source of transmission and many jobs that were previously considered relatively safe are now potentially dangerous. Therefore, many workers face threats of exposure to the virus, economic stress and job uncertainty coupled with fears of economic burden to meet the health contingency, get sick and die. A descriptive investigation of a cross-sectional cohort of virtual modality was proposed between the months of September 2020 to January 2021, to know the contextual factors: individual, unit and macro. In the former, economic stress and occupational risk factors that affect the behavior and attitudes of employees towards COVID-19, as well as their health. In the latter, organizational responses to ensure the safety and health of your workforce such as increased PPE and telecommuting. And finally, in the third group, the great variability in the promulgation of policies that affect the lives of almost all workers was evidenced. Finally, the questionnaire can be extrapolated to an institution with a view to a critical analysis in light of the standards of governments, regulators, and NGOs.