COVID-19 and Morale - Cutting Through the Numbers
Joe Whiteman, Director of Safety Services  9-2020

As we continue to navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, morale is certainly taking a toll among our workers. I suspect the big contributor comes from the litany of news coverage surrounding the pandemic. Look at the way the statistics are being reported. They sound horrible, and if you only catch a few minutes a day, it makes sense that the pandemic is having a tremendous negative influence on morale. We have done well by educating workers what is required when it comes to safe work procedures, hygiene, housekeeping and early detection through communication and preventative steps. These efforts have had a positive impact on reducing exposure and minimizing impact. At the end of the day, morale is still taxed due to the overwhelming barrage of hyper-sensationalized statistics found on our favorite channels.

Let's talk about those statistics, that is, where we can make a positive impact with our employees to help build confidence and alleviate some of the stress. The truth is, the statistics are looking better every day. On the news, we hear that the elderly are most susceptible to dying from the coronavirus. Although this statement is true, what you don’t hear very often or at all, is that of those who have passed from COVID-19, the majority were older than 65 and, were also suffering from comorbidities or underlying health issues, as stated by the CDC. Sure, that is an unfortunate statistic. However, knowing that, we can place greater focus on what we do, where we go, and who we interact with, to ensure we take proper precautions for those who fall into that category.

Another statistic on the CDC website is that the U.S. has a population of a little more than 331,000,000. The death rate for those 55 years or older is .002 % and for those ages 13-54 is .0003. So, what do those numbers tell us? True, it looks terrible when you see that so many people in those age groups have passed form COVID-19. But what if I told you that overall, you have a 99.96% chance of survival? When you parse the statistics from a different perspective, you can either put a very bad outlook on things, or, in a context where things are better than the way they are represented. The same can be applied to new daily case rates. Positive tests as of August was 5,888,400 or 9%. Or, you can contrast that with the negative test rate was for the same period which was 59,867,907. That is a 91% negative test rate, certainly a number you will most likely not hear on the news.

Also beaten like a drum is the total COVID case count which is currently at 6,248,989. I agree, it sounds terrible. What is not mentioned however, is that of those cases, 3,818,249 people have fully recovered, leaving a little over 2,500,000 people with varying levels of COVID-19. That is a number that is rarely mentioned on the news. Yes, people have died. Yes, more have, or may contract the virus. I am not here to say otherwise. What I am saying is we can do better when we discuss the effects of this pandemic. We can present it in a way it in a way that paints a more realistic picture, and not the apocalyptic picture many have been led to believe. Take your time, familiarize yourself with the CDC website and look at the numbers for yourself. Communicate with your employees and discuss these statistics in a context that is easier for all to understand. It will help relieve a lot of the misconceptions surrounding this virus that are taking a toll on the morale of our workers.