Q&A on Covid-19 Infection During Working Hours

Recently, the question "does COVID-19 count as a work-related injury during working hours?" has aroused heated discussion among netizens. Relevant lawyers have been interviewed on the issues of concern.

Does infection with COVID-19 during work count as a work-related injury?

The precondition for identifying work-related injury is that the injury must be caused by work. Even if you are not in the workplace, you may be infected with this infectious disease, so theoretically, COVID-19 infection can NOT be identified as a work-related injury.

However, in the process of medical treatment, medical workers who are infected due to their work duties CAN be identified as having work-related injuries.

Will I be considered absent if I don't go to work after my colleagues are tested positive?

Let's set an example: in the office of 10 workers, 8 were diagnosed positive for COVID-19. If the remaining two people were worried about getting infected, they could negotiate with the company to work at home. In this case, they will not be regarded as absent. If the employee has not been diagnosed and hasn't reached any agreement with the company, he/she may be determined as absent from work according to the company rules and regulations.

So when most employees are diagnosed with Covid and the rest are unwilling to go to work, they should ask for leave according to the company's regulations, and those who do not ask for leave can be treated as absenteeism.

How will the salary be paid?

According to the latest regulations of the State Council, if patients infected with COVID-19 choose to be isolated at home, it is still a case of isolation according to the current regulations and policies. During this period, the enterprise should pay the employees in line with the normal standard.

After an employee chooses to be isolated at home, if the conditions get worse and need to be transferred to the hospital for treatment, he or she shall get sick pay according to the medical treatment period in hospital.

When is the suitable time to go back to work?

①Normally, the nucleic acid result will turn negative after 7 days in young adults, and with low infectivity.

The temperature of young adults will gradually return to normal after 3 days, but cough and sore throat may still remain serious. From the clinical point of view, most patients with mild symptoms began to turn negative after 7 days, and the virus amount was also quite low, basically not infectious.

② After the temperature returns to normal, rest for another 3 days.

Generally, the symptoms of cough, runny nose and sore throat may be relieved 3 days after the temperature turns to normal. When you feel that sore throat and cough no longer affect your sleep, it means that your body has primarily recovered and you are suitable to return to work!

Source: CNXK

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