The coronavirus outbreak that is gripping the world originated in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province in central China. The first cases were reported in December. The coronavirus family includes the common cold as well as viruses that cause more serious illnesses, such as SARS. It spread from China to more than a dozen countries from 2002 to 2003, killing approximately 800 people. This coronavirus family also includes Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which developed from camels.
Coronavirus infects the lungs, and symptoms start with a fever and cough. It can progress to shortness of breath and breathing difficulties leading to pneumonia. It has now spread throughout China and across international borders. There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment.
What Does the Coronavirus Outbreak Mean for Security Operations Teams?
There is no doubt that the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on global organizations and economies will continue to be far-reaching and significant. The impact specific to security operations very much depends upon the nature of an organization’s core business. Typically, any crisis is largely coordinated by an organization’s security team; therefore, it stands to reason that security will be called upon to manage the demand for intelligence by various stakeholders within an organization. Proactive dissemination of information and effective management of support requests is incredibly important. Execution of these items in a timely manner is critical to the fulfillment of duty of care obligations.
With regard to business continuity planning, security may also be responsible for conducting a thorough risk assessment of business-critical people, places and operations likely to be impacted by the outbreak. While safety is (and should be) the number-one priority, a close second is business integrity. Today, most businesses have a robust crisis management and business continuity program (BCP) in place; a thorough review of all aspects of such programs is important. To put it simply: there is never a good time to overlook part of an established BCP, but during a global health crisis is a particularly bad time for such an occurrence.
What Should Security Teams Be Doing to Get Their Employees Out of Harm’s Way?
For organizations that have large employee populations in China or have travelers (including expats) in that region, safety will be a high priority in addition to general health and well-being. Those that have already identified some risk exposure in China, or the wider region, will likely be looking at whether assets can or should be moved given the current restrictions on travel. If travel is not possible, the emphasis shifts to “shelter in place” practices and how to support the employee(s) during the outbreak.
If the security team is able to coordinate onward travel, elective or imposed quarantine considerations will need to be planned. Further, there needs to be a plan in place to manage interaction with potentially exposed employees; close consultation with legal and human resources departments will be required in this instance. If an individual is ill and there is a chance they may have been exposed to the virus, management of their treatment will need to be coordinated. Given that any scenario is possible as this outbreak progresses, effective management of the situation will require the involvement of many different stakeholders and external partners. Carefully crafted communications on the topic will need to be produced for both internal and external audiences.
Here are some recommendations that can be presented to stakeholders in order to mitigate risk related to the coronavirus outbreak.
- Restrict Travel: Review all travel plans to or near the affected region on a regular basis, making use of electronic remote conferencing facilities wherever possible.
- Remote Working: Make provisions, as far as practicable, for travelers and employees within China, and neighboring countries with confirmed cases, to work from home in order to reduce the use of public transport and the likelihood of coming into contact with crowds of people.
- Review Vaccination Policy: Advise employees of the benefits of the seasonal flu vaccine to help prevent infection with the flu, which symptoms may be confused with the new coronavirus. This will also help to protect from the flu virus that kills half a million people annually.
The security team, in partnership with any medical professionals on staff, may also wish to send general advice to the organization regarding best practices for avoiding transmission of the coronavirus, as well as other illnesses. These practices include, but are not limited to:
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water (for at least 20 seconds) or with an alcohol-based hand rub, especially after coughing and sneezing and before handling and consuming food.
- When coughing and sneezing, use disposable tissues and dispose of them carefully and promptly.
- Avoid close contact with people who appear unwell or who are coughing or sneezing and avoid sharing personal items.
- Avoid unprotected contact with wild or domestic farm animals (alive or dead)
- Thoroughly cook all meat and eggs before consuming.
It is important that the security team and other stakeholders within the business take it upon themselves to stay updated on the progression of this situation. More in-depth insight on the coronavirus outbreak from HX Global Chief Medical Officer Dr. Adrian Hyzler can be found here.
Tim Crockett is Senior Vice President of US Operations at HX Global.
