COVID-19 Workplace Testing Study: Phase II Analysis

Background US businesses were considerably impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Return to work after exposure or illness was challenging. Objective 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 was 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, while 42% were more than 500. Small, medium, and large companies were differentially affected with larger companies affected the most. 68% 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.