COVID-19 Workplace Testing Study: Phase II Analysis

Details

• Personal Author:
  Nessim, Dalia ; Thiese, Matthew S. ; Ball, Cynthia ; Levin, Jeffrey L. ; Moore, Kevin D. ; Parvanta, Claudia ; Caban-Martinez, Alberto J. ; Eastlake, Adrienne ; Schulte, Paul A.
• Description:
  Background: US businesses were considerably impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Return to work after exposure or illness was challenging. Objective: This study aimed to assess employers' experiences and perspectives during the pandemic with SARS-CoV-2 testing in their workforce. Methods: An anonymous survey was delivered to employers across nine NORA sectors. Data were analyzed using SAS Version 9.4. Results: Thirty percent of the respondents worked in a small-sized company (<100 employees), 28% were 100-500 employees, and 42% were more than 500. Small, medium, and large companies were differentially affected, with larger companies affected the most. Sixty-eight percent reported utilizing testing in their return-to-work strategy. Delay in getting results was the most common reported barrier to testing during the early phase of the pandemic (60%). Conclusion: This study will help prepare employers in return-to-work testing decisions in future pandemics.
• Subjects:
  COVID-19 Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: COVID-19 Testing; Corona Virus; Employer Testing; Pandemic Impact; Barriers To Testing Return To Work; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Small Businesses; Infectious Diseases; Infection Prevention; Disease Control;
• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Texas ; Utah ; Oklahoma ; Florida ; Ohio ; District of Columbia ; Maryland ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA] ; Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Atlanta Region [OSHA] ; Birmingham Region [OSHA] ; Dallas Region [OSHA] ; Denver Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSI - Division of Science Integration
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  6 pdf pages
• Volume:
  68
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071081
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2026 Feb; 68(2):e115-e120
• Email:
  dalia.nessim@uttyler.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:624ad484daed7f833a779870736b0da72bf3a3a6a8fe89586259c87d9abe0502961be14f8cce8df44f2efc2f56cd8610f8a67ddfe6cfd4611d5b6e9f194f13d0
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/257857/cdc_257857_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 226.53 KB ]