More and more companies offer remote work 2:06
(CNN) --
As Covid-19 cases continue to decline and state and local governments continue to lift remaining pandemic restrictions, many offices are asking employees to return to in-person work.
We know that 60% of workers with jobs that can be done from home say they would like to work from home most or all of the time when the pandemic is over, if given the choice, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
That's an increase from 54% in 2020.
But what happens if you want to return or are required to return to the office?
How should people consider the safety of returning to the office and other face-to-face work environments?
Should they continue to wear masks, even if it is not required?
Is it safe to sit in the conference rooms?
What about the risk of taking buses and trains?
And are there work circumstances that people should try to avoid?
To guide us through questions about returning to work, I spoke with CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the University's Milken Institute School of Public Health. George Washington University.
She is also the author of "
Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health
."
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CNN: What are the factors that people should consider if they need to return to in-person work?
Dr. Leana Wen:
I encourage people to think about three factors.
First, what is your medical circumstance and the circumstances of others in your household?
If they are vaccinated, boostered, and generally healthy, just like everyone else who lives with them, then their risk of serious illness from covid-19 is very low.
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Second, what is the level of covid-19 in your community?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new metrics, along with an easy-to-understand color-coded graph with data being entered in real time.
As we discussed in last week's Q&A, you can think of this new CDC tracker the same way you would the weather forecast.
If the level of covid-19 is high, consider using additional protective measures and make sure you wear a mask.
If the level is low, the risk of contracting the coronavirus is lower and you may decide to wear fewer layers of protection.
Third, what are the conditions in your work environment?
What safety precautions are already being taken?
Some offices require proof of vaccination.
Since those who are not vaccinated are three to five times more likely to be infected with covid-19 compared to those who are vaccinated and boosted, I would feel better protected in an environment where I know that the colleagues around me are vaccinated.
Other conditions include whether there are regular tests.
Testing done at least once a week can help detect asymptomatic COVID-19 cases early and serve as an extra layer of protection.
Distancing and ventilation also add protection.
There is a higher risk if you are close to many colleagues in a small space, compared to if you are in a large room with good ventilation.
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CNN: Should people wear face masks at work, even if they're not required to?
Wen:
Thinking about the above three factors will help make this decision.
If you or someone in your household is immunocompromised, you may decide to continue wearing a face covering at work, especially if your area has high levels of COVID-19 and you are in a work environment where you are in close proximity to other people.
On the other hand, if you are in generally good health, vaccinated and have a booster shot, and live in an area with low or medium levels of COVID-19, it would be reasonable for you not to wear a mask.
Working conditions can also condition this decision.
For example, if everyone around you is known to be vaccinated and separated, that might also make it safer to remove your mask.
File photo. Office workers in New York City wait in line to enter Goldman Sachs headquarters in June 2021. The company requires a COVID-19 vaccination to enter from August 24, 2021.
You could also wear the mask in some work environments and not in others.
Perhaps your workplace is in an area that is far from others;
you could take your mask off there, but then put your mask on when you're in the elevator or going to the bathroom.
Perhaps you still don't feel comfortable removing your mask because your area is medium risk according to the CDC.
You could wait to do so once the level drops to low risk.
CNN: What kind of mask would you recommend people wear?
Are cloth masks enough?
Wen: No. If you are going to wear a mask, I recommend that you wear the highest quality mask: N95, KN95, or KF94.
Make sure the mask fits you well and is comfortable enough that you can wear it for as long as you need to.
A single-layer cloth mask will not provide as much protection against the highly contagious variant like omicron as a high-quality one.
CNN: Let's say you want to be more careful.
Is it safe to sit in conference rooms with other people if everyone is without a mask?
Wen: A high-quality N95 mask or equivalent protects you very well.
Even if others aren't wearing a mask, your risk of contracting COVID-19 is low if you wear a mask consistently.
This is not to say that everyone should wear a mask when in a conference room.
Again, this depends on your medical situation, the amount of COVID-19 in your area, and the circumstances of your workplace.
It may be very reasonable for many employees to go without masks in conference rooms if, for example, others around them are vaccinated or if the risk of covid-19 in their area is low.
There will be many different considerations in the future, and everyone must make the best decision for themselves, understanding that very few situations will have zero risk.
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CNN: What about commuting?
Is it safe now to take the bus or the train?
Wen:
Yes, it is, if you wear an N95 mask or equivalent all the time.
For much of the pandemic we talked about masks to protect others.
Now, we know that a high-quality mask protects the person.
Make sure you wear your mask throughout your trip and don't eat or drink unless absolutely necessary.
CNN: Are there work circumstances that people should try to avoid?
Wen:
This still depends on the individual and the circumstances involved.
Someone who is healthy, vaccinated and boosted, and is in a low-transmission area can probably participate in all work activities with very low risk of serious illness.
On the other hand, another person who is medically vulnerable and in an area with higher levels of covid-19 may want to take extra precautions.
Take into account not only the work environment itself, but also the activities that take place around the work.
The office can be quite separate and secure, but if colleagues go out for drinks in a crowded bar, that presents an additional risk.
Workers may need to be vaccinated, but not customers or visitors.
Take these factors into account when deciding what additional precautions to follow.
That doesn't mean you can't socialize with your co-workers.
You may decide to avoid the crowded bar and suggest an outdoor setting to socialize after work.
Or you can go without a mask with your colleagues who you know are vaccinated, but wear your mask when around people of unknown vaccination status.
Remember that the mask is always available to you as an option, although it is not mandatory.
Wearing a high-quality mask continues to protect you.
Of course, also get vaccinated and get a booster!
Covid-19