Introduction
In the United States, infectious diseases exact a measurable toll on workplaces: in 2023 private industry reported approximately 100,200 respiratory illness cases—outcomes that translate directly into lost workdays and disrupted operations. Seasonal respiratory pathogens such as influenza and COVID-19 cause millions of illnesses each season and lead to large numbers of medical visits, hospitalizations, and missed workdays. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed that worker absenteeism nearly doubles during periods of elevated respiratory transmission.
This course equips employees with practical, science-based hygiene and illness-prevention practices to help them stay healthy on the job. Some of the topics covered in this course are:
- Workplace hygiene and housekeeping fundamentals
- Recognition and basic facts of common contagious diseases such as:
- Common Cold
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Influenza (flu)
- Strep Throat
- Prevention measures such as:
- hand hygiene
- proper use of alcohol-based sanitizers
- routine cleaning and disinfection
- Overview of an Infectious Disease Preparedness & Response (IDPR) Plan
Course Objectives
| ID | Objective |
|---|---|
| TO 1.0 | Achieve a minimum score of 70% on the final course assessment. |
| LO 1.1.1 | Define "hand hygiene," and describe the steps in properly washing your hands. |
| LO 1.1.2 | Discuss the proper use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. |
| LO 1.1.3 | Describe best practices to help stop the spread of germs and keep yourself and others from getting infected. |
| LO 1.2.1 | Define "pathogens" and how they attack a human host. |
| LO 1.2.2 | Give examples of infectious diseases caused by pathogens. |
| LO 1.2.3 | Define and contrast communicable and non-communicable diseases. |
| LO 1.2.4 | Describe how pathogens can be directly or indirectly transmitted. |
| LO 1.2.5 | List and describe common infectious diseases and their common signs and symptoms. |
| LO 1.2.6 | List the symptoms that indicate you should seek medical attention. |
| LO 1.3.1 | Describe the primary methods of disease prevention. |
| LO 1.3.2 | Discuss how effective vaccines can help build the body's immunity to a disease. |
| LO 1.3.3 | Discuss healthy practices that help prevent the spread of infectious diseases in the workplace. |
Key: Terminal Objective (TO), Learning Objective (LO)