Is “Enough” Really Enough? How Protected Are Our Most Vulnerable Workers—Those That Support Our Country’s Economy and Infrastructure?

Abstract

In a congressional letter sent on March 1st, 2021 addressed to the White House COVID Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Acting Secretary Al Stewart,1 a group of public health leaders in the fields of infectious disease and aerosol science voiced their concerns about the current CDC recommendations on workplace aerosol exposure protection and urged OSHA to use the most recent information about PPE in their upcoming March 15 promulgation of an emergency standard. With the recent SARS-CoV-2 plans, the availability of life-saving vaccines has expanded, the call for the widespread use of masks has increased, and stronger measures and guidelines to protect workers and the public have been implemented.2 But these measures are not enough. Vaccinations are not a viable short-term solution because new variants can develop rapidly, long before the majority of the population can receive the vaccination.3 Current regulations and recommendations on the types of masks people should wear are insufficient and are not regularly updated. SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and death rates recently reached record-high levels,4 which indicates that there is an urgent need for further action. There is still much to be done to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections and deaths.