2020-04-01 Forbes Africa

18 | FORBES AFRICA APRIL 2020 FORBESAFRICA.COM

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PANDEMICONTHISSCALEWILLHAVEA
dominoeffectonsocietyatlargeandexpertsanticipate
hospitalsstrugglingtocopewiththevolumeofcases,
socialgatheringsbeingbannedoutright,andultimately
workplacesdisruptedinthewakeofthecontagiouscoronavirus.
Fornow(atthetimeofgoingtopress), Africaasa wholehas
a relativelylowercaseloadandisbetterpreparedthanmany
nationstodealwitha pandemic.SaysHendrikScholtz,anexpert
inpandemicmanagementwhoworkedonMERS(MiddleEast
RespiratorySyndrome)witha backgroundinpathologyandis
currentlyGeneralManagerattheworldwideheadquartersof
InternationalSOSinSingapore,responsiblefor1,200medical
doctorsand4,000paramedicsandnursesactivein 92 countries
globally: “The low numbers [in Africa] are a genuine reflection

ofthenumberofpeopleinfectedanda testamenttotherapid

identificationofcases.IncertainpartsofAfrica,thepublichealth

systemisverywellpreparedtodealwithanepidemic,especially

becauseoftheEbolaoutbreak.I havefullconfidenceinthehealth

system.”

Therearebroadlythreewaysbusinessescanpreparefora

pandemiconthisscale:increasetheaccessibilityandstandardof

theirhygienepracticesandworkplacehygienecompliance,enable

socialdistancingthroughremoteworkingtopreventthespread

ofthedisease,andpreparefora highrateofabsenteeism while

ensuringleaveandsickleavepoliciesare in place.

Hygienepracticesandcompliance

It’s almost devastating in its simplicity: it’s the basic hygiene

Withstockmarketsinsteepdecline,countriesinquarantine,andcasesof

Covid-19spreadingrapidlyaroundtheglobe,businesseshaveno option

but to brace themselvesforthisraging pandemic.

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR

BUSINESS FOR THE CONTAGION

BY SAMANTHA STEELE