Businesses have jumped through a lot of hoops this year in order to remain open. With coronavirus vaccines still on the near horizon, proactive companies are incorporating testing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, into a workplace COVID-19 preparedness, response, and control plan.

Swabbing all employees, coupled with temperature checks and other safety precautions (masks, gloves) can help prevent virus outbreaks and also give peace of mind to a business’s staff.

Many laboratories have sprung up to meet business demands for walk-in clinics or on-site testing to verify whether persons are COVID-19 symptomatic. The Food and Drug Administration has warned that some scammers are promoting unauthorized COVID-19 tests, so make sure to only use tests that are authorized by the FDA.

Two reputable companies operating in Chicago are Belle Meade AMP, (312) 420-4900, and Northshore Clinical Laboratories, (773) 217-5065. Both administer antibody tests that determine who is COVID-19 immune; those individuals would be able to continue to work without having to shut down or lock down an entire population. Results can take up to 48 hours.

For antibody testing, a health care professional takes a blood sample, usually by a finger prick or by drawing blood from a vein in the arm. Then the sample is tested to determine whether the person has antibodies against the virus. The immune system produces these antibodies — proteins that are critical for fighting and clearing out the virus.

Another test, for antigen, detects certain proteins in the virus. Using a long nasal swab to get a fluid sample, antigen tests can produce results in minutes. Because these tests are faster and less expensive than antibody tests, antigen tests may be more practical to use for large numbers of people. A positive antigen test result is considered accurate when instructions are carefully followed, but there is an increased chance of false-negative results — meaning it’s possible to be infected with the virus but have a negative result.

To help employers think through the pros and cons of testing employees for COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance that describes five scenarios in which testing might be effective or appropriate.

In general, employers should be strategic about testing and have a plan for what to do when results are positive, the agency advised in its guidance for testing in non-healthcare workplaces.

Testing is most appropriate in areas where there is moderate to substantial community transmission of COVID-19 and at workplaces where employees are in close contact with each other or the public, the CDC said.

Ben Shapiro, who owns a delicatessen, said some of his employees were apprehensive when he announced plans to test them. But soon, the workers realized how much they depended on one another to remain healthy. 

"They became more of a team," he said.