As the flu and the common cold spread across the nation, Australian employers are preparing for a record number of employees to take sick days over the course of the upcoming month.
As the extremely contagious Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 cause a statewide wave of new infections and hospital admissions, employers are already struggling with staffing shortages.
The number of absences is 50% greater than average, and sick leave for fever and coughing is five times higher than last year.
The number of admissions to hospitals has increased by more than 1000 over the last 10 days, reaching 4,000.
The late season of influenza B and the sharp increase in Covid cases, according to specialists, will cause August to see an unheard-before number of sick days and caregiver absences.
Data from labs across Australia, according to former deputy federal chief medical officer Dr. Nick Coatsworth, showed “all the other respiratory viruses were coming back with vengeance.”
Dr. Coatsworth advised the Financial Review that “HR departments and industry need to look towards late August, early September for relief.”
“My recommendation would be to have employees stay out of the office for a few days and try to prevent continuous spread rather than having your entire crew get sick,”
As firms are forced to function with skeleton employees, the gloomy prediction could be problematic for the economy, which is already in turmoil.
The previous administration stopped the $750 pandemic payouts for individuals forced to isolate, thus employers won’t be able to dissuade thousands of employees from taking their legally granted sick days, while others would be left to support workers without benefits.
According to the most recent FluTracking statistics, which monitors respiratory infections like influenza and Covid, 2.5% of people are off of work, compared to a five-year normal of 1.5%.
But according to workplace data, elder care and retail experienced greater absence rates in June, suggesting that some industries may be more prone to staff shortages.
Nationally, 14.5% of shifts in aged care went unfilled; in NSW, the problem was particularly severe with a rate of 36.8%.
In terms of retail, 7% of shifts were unfilled nationwide last month, with Western Australia having the highest rate (9.8%), followed closely by NSW (8.1 per cent).
But according to expert forecasts, things could get much worse in the coming weeks.
Chief health authorities issued a formal warning on Friday, stating that if no action was done, the nation’s instances of the two dominant Omicron strains might resemble those of Australia during the BA.1 wave in January, when infections peaked at more than 100,000 per day.
In contrast to other variants, BA.4 and BA.5 are linked to “enhanced immune escape,” making it simpler for those who have already contracted earlier Covid forms to contract it once more, which may happen as soon as four weeks after recovery.
According to the statement, “individuals who test positive to Covid more than 28 days after finishing isolation owing to prior infection should be reported and managed as new cases.”
The warning comes as significant business organizations reject state and federal health officials’ recommendations to think about working from home out of concern that it will jeopardize the nation’s economic recovery.
State governments have not excluded out reintroducing mask regulations and work-from-home policies even though they are not currently planned, should the winter Covid wave worsen.
Many workplaces now have hybrid models that allow employees to spend some days at work and others at home, but as hospital admissions rise, some health organizations are advocating for stricter Covid regulations.
The progress many companies have made since staff members returned to offices earlier this year, according to Tim Piper, the head of Ai Group’s Victorian division, would be undone by reintroducing remote work environments.
He told the Sydney Morning Herald that the notion “undermines the really good effort that employers and employees have made since Omicron really hit us in January.”
“Reintroducing masks in offices would be wholly ineffective.
” It is the only issue that has motivated individuals to skip work.
An additional 7.4 million Australian adults will be eligible for Covid treatments and a fourth vaccination shot starting on Monday as health authorities work to reduce the nation’s rising infection and hospitalization rates.
While people over 30 are eligible if they so want, those over 50 are advised to receive the additional shot.
Australians over 70 who test positive for the virus will be able to obtain antivirals on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme starting on Monday, according to Health Minister Mark Butler.
Additionally, access will be increased for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander persons over 30 who have two or more risk factors for serious disease as well as people over 50 who have two or more risk factors.
Immunocompromised individuals over the age of 18 may also qualify.
Lagevrio and Paxlovid are two antivirals that are covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
They will be offered starting on Monday for $6.80 for concession card holders and roughly $40 for everyone else, even though they typically cost more than $1000.
In order to inform Australians about the availability of therapies, a fresh advertising campaign will also be introduced.
The Plan For Covid campaign exhorts people to get tested as soon as they notice any symptoms, consult their doctor right away for guidance, and look into available treatments.
As winter deepens, hospitals are ready for an increase in cases, according to Mr. Butler, who also urged young Australians to get their third booster.
According to him, almost 2.5 million adults in their 30s and 40s have not yet received their third booster.
I strongly advise you to take the third dose because it is the real kicker.
That’s what actually strengthens your resistance to serious illness,’ Mr. Butler told reporters in Adelaide on Sunday.
The fourth dose will give you a boost, and that boost is crucial at this time given the pandemic phase we’re in, this additional third wave.
It’s becoming more and more obvious that (variants) can go through any immunity you may have gained from having Covid in the past.
“We’re seeing folks getting infected again who may have only had Covid a few weeks ago.”
On Sunday, Australia recorded more than 31,000 new infections and 24 fatalities, a tiny decrease from the previous 48 hours.
By the end of the weekend, 4094 Australians were hospitalized, and the demand on medical staff was growing as influenza rates rose.