SOM advises the tool should only be used with clinical judgement and only the current table at https://alama.org.uk/covid-19-medical-risk-assessment/ should be used.
Guest blog by Joanna Stacey-Leeks, Clinical Director, Polridge Health Ltd
As government lockdown rules are relaxed to allow workers to return to their posts, employers must now take on the responsibility for making sure that that those who can’t work from home are safe in the workplace.
Our knowledge of COVID-19 has increasingly demonstrated that some people are more likely to suffer serious illness if they contract COVID-19, and that those at higher risk should take more precautions to avoid infection.
This vulnerability to serious illness is calculated as “Covid-age” and takes into consideration an individual’s chronological age, ethnicity and sex, along with underlying health conditions known to increase the risk of serious illness.
Understanding the risks of becoming infected in the workplace and the controls that are in place combined with an individual’s risk of serious illness can inform decision making about whether an employee should return to their workplace.
Using guidance from a study recently published by Coggon et al, occupational health provider Polbridge Health Ltd has developed an easy to use online tool to help workers calculate their vulnerability to COVID-19.
This can be shared with an employer and, when combined with a risk assessment of the workplace, will inform decisions about whether it would be safe for that employee to return to the workplace.
The tool also indicates whether further discussion with a health professional, such as an occupational health advisor or physician, about any underlying health condition, will more accurately predict the employee’s risks.
In addition to providing a quick and easily understandable risk rating, the technology removes the need for a Human Resource or Occupational Health department to collect and process large volumes of data.
The tool is free to use for individuals and can be configured to link with occupational health databases used by employers to maintain confidential medical records.