Workplace safety tips for Covid

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(CNN) —

After 12 months of working from home, with vaccines getting into arms around the country and much of the vulnerable population already vaccinated, many businesses are gearing up for in-person work again.

Understandably, vaccinated or not, many of us are pretty anxious about going back to being around people all day. Before you buy anything, have a conversation with your manager or employee representative to make sure you’re heading into a healthy and clean working environment, and also check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines on the process.

We spoke with Dr. Jason E. Farley, an infectious disease-trained nurse epidemiologist and nurse practitioner in the division of infectious diseases at the Johns Hopkins Schools of Nursing and Medicine, about how you can protect yourself — and your co-workers — in our new normal.

“Everyone should be still wearing masks,” says Farley. “CDC recommendations for this have not changed. Obviously states are making different determinations across the country and potentially put both the worker as well as the general public at risk through those decisions.”

It’s important to evaluate your risk, Farley says, when selecting your mask.

“Depending on your personal risk, if you’re mandated to return to [the] office, you should potentially look for an N95 or KN95, or at least an N95 filter insert. They have various forms of filter that are N95-like, although they won’t provide the same level of protection,” he says.

PHOTO: Amazon

Suncoo Protective KN95 Face Masks, 20-Pack

The top-reviewed KN95 mask on Amazon, this Suncoo Protective mask has five layers to keep you safe and comes in a 20-pack.

PHOTO: Amazon

Halidodo Individually-Wrapped KN95 Face Masks, 60-Pack

This product contains 60 individually wrapped KN95 masks you can tuck into your work bag, desk drawer or pocket so you can mask up at a moment’s notice.

PHOTO: Amazon

Hotodeal KN95 Breathable Safety Mask

This KN95 mask gets high marks from reviewers over just how comfortable it is to wear — not to mention it’s ultra breathable.

PHOTO: Etsy

BestMaskBoutique Face Mask

If you can’t get your hands on an N95 mask, then a cloth mask with a nose wire and filter, or worn over a surgical mask, definitely works too, according to the CDC.

“A second mask might also be a good idea, depending on your individual risk circumstances,” Farley says.

These 100% cotton masks are double-quilted for extra protection and would fit nicely over a surgical mask.

PHOTO: Baggu

Baggu Fabric Mask Set Loop, 3-Pack

Another fabric mask set that’s great for double masking are these Baggu masks. With a filter pocket, bendable nose wire, close fit, adjustable ear loops and lots and lots of pretty patterns, these are among our fave masks ever.

PHOTO: Amazon

Wapike Disposable Face Masks, 50-Pack

These surgical masks come with a bendable metal nose wire, are great for double masking and fit really well, according to reviewers.

PHOTO: Walmart

Jandel 1 New KN95 Mask Silicone Storage Bag

It’s important to keep your mask clean and sanitary, so if you may take off your mask during the day, this storage bag will keep it safe.

PHOTO: Target

ICU Health Carbon Filter Face Mask Insert

If you’re not able to use or find an N95 mask, these insert filters will give you — and your co-workers — extra protection against transmitting the virus.

Just because some people at your workplace may have been vaccinated, including you, doesn’t mean everyone has gotten a jab. Farley says it’s important to still be careful, even if you’ve had the vaccine.

“We’re not going to place any individual at greater risk because some of us have gotten vaccinated and some of us have not,” Farley says. “You definitely want to get ahead of that in your office environment, if people are coming back into that space, particularly if it’s not their choice.”

The CDC agrees, and issued new guidelines on March 8, saying on its website, “You should still take steps to protect yourself and others in many situations, like wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet apart from others and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.”

That means stay vigilant!

Farley says you should “absolutely” regularly check your temperature, adding that at Johns Hopkins, where he has been in-person since May, “I have to complete a symptom screen through an app that I must show when I arrive on campus.”

PHOTO: Target

FLTR No-Contact Infrared Digital Forehead Thermometer

This contact-free forehead thermometer is a great way to check yourself and your co-workers for a fever.

If you’re the manager or boss, Farley says, “I think it’s beholden to the manager and the organizational culture to ensure that there’s communication about it and that there are standards set.”

PHOTO: Amazon

iHealth No-Touch Forehead Thermometer

Check your temperature — or someone else’s — with the single touch of a button with this highly rated thermometer.

“The alcohol-based products work well against the virus. There’s no change there,” says Farley. “We still have to remain diligent at this point with masking, with hand hygiene, with social distancing, in addition to getting the vaccine when it’s available to you.”

And as a reminder when shopping for hand sanitizers, the CDC recommends those with at least 60% alcohol.