Sharing Our World With COVID-19: What Keeps Us Safe?
October 25, 2021
More than a year and a half into the pandemic, one thing is certain: We have to move forward with life alongside COVID-19. The virus that causes Covid will likely be around forever, but it will eventually lose its ability to infect masses of people. In the meantime, what can we do to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe? It all boils down to knowledge, preparation and action.
Step 1: Knowledge
Making good decisions about Covid safety starts with having good information. Here are some resources to help you learn more about COVID-19 in your area or the places you’re traveling to and about the virus in general:
- Visit the CDC’s COVID-19 home page for a dashboard of resources and the latest information about the virus.
- County-by-county statistics from the CDC provide information about transmission rates, vaccination rates, number of cases, deaths and so forth. You can view a map of the entire U.S. or choose a specific state and county/metro area for a detailed look.
- The public health department in most U.S. counties also maintain a web page/site with statistics, vaccine locations and other resources. If you search “[name of county] public health covid” online, you’ll most likely find county/local information. (Here, for example, is the Covid page for Orange County, California.)
Step 2: Preparation
Creating a habit of preparation makes Covid safety easier because it becomes part of your daily routine. Here are some ways to include Covid preparation in your everyday life:
- Choose a dedicated space in your home for your “Covid kit” — masks, small bottles of hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and so forth. Make sure it’s in a place you’ll see on your way out the door. Keep extra masks and hand sanitizer in all your cars.
- Print a list of Covid safety precautions and post it where your entire family can see it. Make it part of family time to occasionally review the precautions with your children.
- Add Covid safety and quarantine items to your home emergency kit.
Step 3: Action
Even with knowledge and preparation, you may find yourself coming face to face with Covid. Taking action before exposure — or at least soon afterward — can make all the difference in how the virus affects you and others around you.
- The best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. And from now through the end of 2021, all CoolSys employees can earn a $200 reward for getting the shot. But hurry — time is running out, since there is a waiting period between the two-shot series for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines! (See the end of this article for details.)
- If you suspect you may have Covid, get tested as soon as possible. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has put together a handy resource for testing, including a state-by-state guide for testing locations.
- If you have been exposed or have a confirmed case of COVID-19, be sure to follow the CDC’s quarantine and isolation guidelines. It’s an inconvenience, but you’re helping to keep others safe from the misery and possibly deadly outcome of the virus.
How to Get Your $200 Covid Vaccine Reward
- After you’ve been fully vaccinated (both shots of a two-shot vaccine or one shot of a single-shot vaccine), log in to CoolSyS Benefit Center. Use the “Single Sign-On” button to log in with your CoolSys email address and password.
- Click on “Claim your incentive.”
- Select the name of the vaccine you received, enter the date(s) you received it, upload a photo of your vaccine record card then click “Submit.”
- We’ll process your $200 incentive via payroll within 30 days of your registration.
If you participated in the Vaccine Incentive Program earlier in the year, CoolSys have already processed your increase via payroll. You should have seen this on your 10/15/2021 pay stub as “VAX”.