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| China’s Coronavirus Back-to-Work Lessons: Masks and Vigilance | China’s Coronavirus Back-to-Work Lessons: Masks and Vigilance |
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| BMW workers take their own temperature three times a day and submit the results via an internal chat app. Foxconn, the electronics giant, tells employees to wash their hands before and after handling documents. A ride-share driver wipes down his car daily and sends video proof to headquarters. | BMW workers take their own temperature three times a day and submit the results via an internal chat app. Foxconn, the electronics giant, tells employees to wash their hands before and after handling documents. A ride-share driver wipes down his car daily and sends video proof to headquarters. |
| The world needs rules and guidelines for the post-coronavirus workplace, and China is the first laboratory. | The world needs rules and guidelines for the post-coronavirus workplace, and China is the first laboratory. |
| Three months after the authorities virtually shut down the country to stop the outbreak, its workers have returned to their jobs with the aim of restarting the country’s vast growth machine without igniting another outbreak. If Chinese factories and offices can successfully restart without major infections, they could serve as a model for President Trump and other leaders who want to get their economies back on track. | Three months after the authorities virtually shut down the country to stop the outbreak, its workers have returned to their jobs with the aim of restarting the country’s vast growth machine without igniting another outbreak. If Chinese factories and offices can successfully restart without major infections, they could serve as a model for President Trump and other leaders who want to get their economies back on track. |
| Many of the new workplace rules are obvious: Use disinfectants and masks, and keep your distance from colleagues. But some call for tracking and nudging employees in ways that workers in other countries may find unacceptable, including the use of government-endorsed health tracking apps. At the same time, local authorities have set up a confusing patchwork of rules that differ from city to city and have tripped up businesses. | Many of the new workplace rules are obvious: Use disinfectants and masks, and keep your distance from colleagues. But some call for tracking and nudging employees in ways that workers in other countries may find unacceptable, including the use of government-endorsed health tracking apps. At the same time, local authorities have set up a confusing patchwork of rules that differ from city to city and have tripped up businesses. |
| Everyone agrees on one thing: There is no going back to life before the pandemic. | Everyone agrees on one thing: There is no going back to life before the pandemic. |
| “Life will not become like it was before,” said Johann Wieland, the chief executive officer of BMW’s joint venture in China, which employs 20,500 people. “This is what we have to learn.” | “Life will not become like it was before,” said Johann Wieland, the chief executive officer of BMW’s joint venture in China, which employs 20,500 people. “This is what we have to learn.” |
| Major companies are asking workers to change their daily personal habits as well as their workplace conduct. Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics giant that makes iPhones and other Western-branded gear in vast Chinese factories, has advised employees in a handout to eschew public transportation and walk, bike or drive instead. | Major companies are asking workers to change their daily personal habits as well as their workplace conduct. Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics giant that makes iPhones and other Western-branded gear in vast Chinese factories, has advised employees in a handout to eschew public transportation and walk, bike or drive instead. |
| Foxconn has also recommended that workers push elevator buttons with care, wash hands before and after touching documents and take lunches in staggered shifts. Buses and meeting rooms should be aired out, with windows open, it tells them. | Foxconn has also recommended that workers push elevator buttons with care, wash hands before and after touching documents and take lunches in staggered shifts. Buses and meeting rooms should be aired out, with windows open, it tells them. |
| BASF, the German chemical giant, put in place its own bus airing-out policy. In the early days of this new policy, workers wore extra layers to brace against cold air. | BASF, the German chemical giant, put in place its own bus airing-out policy. In the early days of this new policy, workers wore extra layers to brace against cold air. |
| Employees are watched closely. If monitors at the company gates find a worker has a fever, that person is rushed to a hospital, and co-workers are put under quarantine. Managers also work with local government officials to find out whether a worker has been on a plane or train with an infected person. | Employees are watched closely. If monitors at the company gates find a worker has a fever, that person is rushed to a hospital, and co-workers are put under quarantine. Managers also work with local government officials to find out whether a worker has been on a plane or train with an infected person. |
| “I think it would be almost impossible without the help of authorities,” said Brad Morrison, senior vice president of operations and site management at BASF. | “I think it would be almost impossible without the help of authorities,” said Brad Morrison, senior vice president of operations and site management at BASF. |
| Shifting rules from place to place have snarled logistics and supply chains, however. While restrictions have eased since China sharply limited movement around the country earlier in the outbreak, local authorities still sometimes erect temporary barriers, especially in places where sporadic infections have emerged. | Shifting rules from place to place have snarled logistics and supply chains, however. While restrictions have eased since China sharply limited movement around the country earlier in the outbreak, local authorities still sometimes erect temporary barriers, especially in places where sporadic infections have emerged. |
| Inside BASF facilities, the rules are uniform. Everyone wears a mask. Surfaces are wiped down regularly. In the canteen, no more than one person can sit at a table, and the tables have all been rearranged to face one direction. Some meeting rooms have been converted into temporary eating spaces to prevent crowding. | Inside BASF facilities, the rules are uniform. Everyone wears a mask. Surfaces are wiped down regularly. In the canteen, no more than one person can sit at a table, and the tables have all been rearranged to face one direction. Some meeting rooms have been converted into temporary eating spaces to prevent crowding. |
| Employees who crank machine handles or press buttons work inside the plant. Everyone else communicates by walkie-talkies from outside. Laboratories and plants maintain A and B shifts. No face-to-face communication is allowed for shift handovers. | Employees who crank machine handles or press buttons work inside the plant. Everyone else communicates by walkie-talkies from outside. Laboratories and plants maintain A and B shifts. No face-to-face communication is allowed for shift handovers. |
| “These measures do make sense,” Mr. Morrison said. “It’s a small sacrifice to be able to operate your own plants.” | “These measures do make sense,” Mr. Morrison said. “It’s a small sacrifice to be able to operate your own plants.” |
| To stay safe, many employers have embraced government-endorsed and newly built-in health code functions in some of China’s most popular smartphone apps like Alipay and WeChat. One of the first services built to gauge a person’s infection risk, the health code function tracks a person’s travel to see whether he or she has been to areas with high infections, though the creators and the Chinese government have not disclosed full details about how it works. When prompted by health workers, police officers or security personnel, a person would display a code colored red, yellow or green. | To stay safe, many employers have embraced government-endorsed and newly built-in health code functions in some of China’s most popular smartphone apps like Alipay and WeChat. One of the first services built to gauge a person’s infection risk, the health code function tracks a person’s travel to see whether he or she has been to areas with high infections, though the creators and the Chinese government have not disclosed full details about how it works. When prompted by health workers, police officers or security personnel, a person would display a code colored red, yellow or green. |
| The State Administration for Market Regulation, a business standards regulator, is creating a unified health data platform for information collected from citizens during the outbreak. But the system, which would use QR codes, is still in its early days and has already had glitches. | The State Administration for Market Regulation, a business standards regulator, is creating a unified health data platform for information collected from citizens during the outbreak. But the system, which would use QR codes, is still in its early days and has already had glitches. |
| Liu Nan is not taking chances. The owner of two barbecued beef restaurants in Jiamusi in northeastern China, Mr. Liu asks his customers to show their smartphone health codes before they can enter. | Liu Nan is not taking chances. The owner of two barbecued beef restaurants in Jiamusi in northeastern China, Mr. Liu asks his customers to show their smartphone health codes before they can enter. |
| “Some would complain that other restaurants are not that strict,” said Mr. Liu, who named his restaurant Chunli Jia, after his wife. “But we have to keep telling them that we want to make sure our restaurants are safe.” | “Some would complain that other restaurants are not that strict,” said Mr. Liu, who named his restaurant Chunli Jia, after his wife. “But we have to keep telling them that we want to make sure our restaurants are safe.” |
| Like many other restaurant owners across China, Mr. Liu requires employees to attach a card to every order with the names of the people who prepared, wrapped and delivered the meal along with their body temperatures. Mr. Liu also does not want his workers to socialize too much. He asks his 14 cooks and servers to stay in the dormitories he has long rented for them. | Like many other restaurant owners across China, Mr. Liu requires employees to attach a card to every order with the names of the people who prepared, wrapped and delivered the meal along with their body temperatures. Mr. Liu also does not want his workers to socialize too much. He asks his 14 cooks and servers to stay in the dormitories he has long rented for them. |
| “I told them if they really want to go out to have some fun, they can come to my house to play mahjong,” said Mr. Liu, 30. | “I told them if they really want to go out to have some fun, they can come to my house to play mahjong,” said Mr. Liu, 30. |
| Updated June 5, 2020 | Updated June 5, 2020 |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| China’s gig economy workers have to take their own precautions, often dictated by their de facto bosses. | China’s gig economy workers have to take their own precautions, often dictated by their de facto bosses. |
| In Beijing, Niu Baosui, 31, a driver for Didi Chuxing, the Chinese version of Uber, must upload a video to Didi’s internal platform each morning to show that he has sanitized his car and share his temperature before he sets out to work. On his own, Mr. Niu has taken to wiping down his car between orders, which these days is often much longer than it used to be. He also wears a mask and gloves. | In Beijing, Niu Baosui, 31, a driver for Didi Chuxing, the Chinese version of Uber, must upload a video to Didi’s internal platform each morning to show that he has sanitized his car and share his temperature before he sets out to work. On his own, Mr. Niu has taken to wiping down his car between orders, which these days is often much longer than it used to be. He also wears a mask and gloves. |
| “It is getting really warm now. Wearing a face mask makes my sweat drip even with the air conditioning on,” Mr. Niu said. | “It is getting really warm now. Wearing a face mask makes my sweat drip even with the air conditioning on,” Mr. Niu said. |
| Some workers, deemed essential by the authorities, had to learn what to do during the worst of China’s outbreak. | Some workers, deemed essential by the authorities, had to learn what to do during the worst of China’s outbreak. |
| Zhang Hao, a courier for the e-commerce giant JD.com, works in Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in December. The packages Mr. Zhang handles are hosed down by disinfectant at the warehouse. He carries his own sanitizer spray. But now he can talk to his customers — earlier in the outbreak, his regular clients would hide behind a barrier of raincoats and do-it-yourself protective gear. | Zhang Hao, a courier for the e-commerce giant JD.com, works in Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in December. The packages Mr. Zhang handles are hosed down by disinfectant at the warehouse. He carries his own sanitizer spray. But now he can talk to his customers — earlier in the outbreak, his regular clients would hide behind a barrier of raincoats and do-it-yourself protective gear. |
| “Nowadays, we definitely still wear face masks,” Mr. Zhang said. “But we can have a chat.” | “Nowadays, we definitely still wear face masks,” Mr. Zhang said. “But we can have a chat.” |
| At JD.com headquarters in Beijing, elevators have been reprogrammed to stop only at designated floors to limit worker interaction. They also have markings for where people can stand. | At JD.com headquarters in Beijing, elevators have been reprogrammed to stop only at designated floors to limit worker interaction. They also have markings for where people can stand. |
| Employees go into the office in two shifts. Many continue to work from home full time. | Employees go into the office in two shifts. Many continue to work from home full time. |
| There are special trash cans for masks, tissues and food containers. The canteen is closed. Employees are encouraged to order their food online from the cafeteria and pick up their meals on different floors. The office building is disinfected three times a day. | There are special trash cans for masks, tissues and food containers. The canteen is closed. Employees are encouraged to order their food online from the cafeteria and pick up their meals on different floors. The office building is disinfected three times a day. |
| BMW Brilliance, BMW’s joint venture with a Chinese automaker, has similar policies in its Beijing office, where about three-quarters of employees go in to work these days. | BMW Brilliance, BMW’s joint venture with a Chinese automaker, has similar policies in its Beijing office, where about three-quarters of employees go in to work these days. |
| “The biggest challenge is the huge economic and social pressure we face pushing us to open up too early and relax the measures too early,” said Mr. Wieland, the joint venture’s C.E.O. | “The biggest challenge is the huge economic and social pressure we face pushing us to open up too early and relax the measures too early,” said Mr. Wieland, the joint venture’s C.E.O. |
| “People want to get back to normal life, and everybody has to learn and understand that we have to behave more mindfully.” | “People want to get back to normal life, and everybody has to learn and understand that we have to behave more mindfully.” |
| Keith Bradsher contributed reporting. | Keith Bradsher contributed reporting. |