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All About Pandemic

Coronaviruses are viruses that circulate among animals with some of them also known to infect humans. Bats are considered natural hosts of these viruses yet several other species of animals are also known to act as sources. For instance, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is transmitted to humans from camels, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-1 (SARS-CoV-1) is transmitted to humans from civet cats.

The novel coronavirus detected in China in 2019 is closely related genetically to the SARS-CoV-1 virus.

SARS emerged at the end of 2002 in China, and it caused more than 8,000 cases in 33 countries over a period of eight months. Around one in ten of the people who developed SARS died.

As of 17 September, the COVID-19 outbreak had caused over 30 million cases worldwide since the first case was reported in China in January 2020. Of these, more than 950,000 are known to have died while close to 22 million have recovered.

While the viruses that cause both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza are transmitted from person-to-person and may cause similar symptoms, the two viruses are very different and do not behave in the same way.

The concern about COVID-19 is that, unlike influenza, there is no vaccine and no specific treatment for the disease. It also appears to be more transmissible than seasonal influenza. As it is a new virus, nobody has prior immunity, which means that the entire human population is potentially susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

While animals are believed to be the original source, the virus spread is now from person to person (human-to-human transmission).

There is not enough epidemiological information at this time to determine how easily this virus spreads between people, but it is currently estimated that, on average, one infected person will infect between two and three other people.

The virus seems to be transmitted mainly via small respiratory droplets through sneezing, coughing, or when people interact with each other for some time in close proximity (usually less than one metre).

These droplets can then be inhaled, or they can land on surfaces that others may come into contact with, who can then get infected when they touch their nose, mouth or eyes.

The virus can survive on different surfaces from several hours (copper, cardboard) up to a few days (plastic and stainless steel). However, the amount of viable virus declines over time and may not always be present in sufficient numbers to cause infection.

The incubation period for COVID-19 (i.e. the time between exposure to the virus and onset of symptoms) is currently estimated to be between one and 14 days.

We know that the virus can be transmitted when people who are infected show symptoms such as coughing. There is also some evidence suggesting that transmission can occur from a person that is infected even two days before showing symptoms; however, uncertainties remain about the effect of transmission by asymptomatic persons.

The infectious period may begin one to two days before symptoms appear, but people are likely most infectious during the symptomatic period, even if symptoms are mild and very non-specific. The infectious period is now estimated to last for 7-12 days in moderate cases and up to two weeks on average in severe cases.

Preliminary data from EU, US, China and Australasia (from the countries with available data) show that around 10-15% of diagnosed COVID-19 cases are hospitalised and 2-4% have severe illness.

Hospitalisation rates are higher for those aged 60 years and above, and for those with other underlying health conditions. Adults between 30 to 50 years also have a high chance of needing hospital care.

It is also now postulated that nearly 40-60% are symptomless.

Additionally the good news is that death rate is much lower than at the start of the pandemic (January to April) as the understanding and knowledge of the disease pattern and the medicines/therapy available are much more better and effective.

The virus enters your body via your eyes, nose and/or mouth, so it is important to avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

Washing of hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or cleaning hands thoroughly with alcohol-based solutions, gels or tissues is recommended in all settings.

It is also recommended to stay one metre or more away from people infected with COVID-19 who are showing symptoms, to reduce the risk of infection through respiratory droplets.

  • Cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a tissue. If you use a tissue, dispose of it carefully after a single use
  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Stay one metre or more away from people to reduce the risk of spreading the virus through respiratory droplets.

If you feel unwell, stay at home. If you develop any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, you should immediately call the PHH Telehealth number for advice.

Physical distancing aims to reduce physical contact between potentially infected people and healthy people, or between population groups with high rates of transmission and others with low or no level of transmission.

The objective of this is to decrease or interrupt the spread of COVID-19.

Note that the term ‘physical distancing’ means the same thing as the widely used term ‘social distancing’, but it more accurately describes what is intended, namely that people keep physically apart.

It is possible that physical distancing measures will have to be implemented over an extended period, and their success depends partially on ensuring that people maintain social contact – from a distance – with friends, family and colleagues.

Internet-based communications and the phone are therefore key tools for ensuring a successful physical distancing strategy.

On a personal level, you can perform physical distancing measures by: Voluntarily self-isolating if you know you have the virus that causes COVID-19, or if you have suggestive respiratory symptoms, or if you belong to a high-risk group (i.e. you are aged 70 years or more, or you have an underlying health condition).

Many countries in across the world like Myanmar have installed quarantine and social/physical distancing as measures to prevent the further spread of the virus.

These measures can include:

  • The full or partial closure of educational institutions and workplaces;
  • Limiting the number of visitors and limiting the contact between the residents of confined settings,
  • such as long-term care facilities and prisons;
  • Cancellation, prohibition and restriction of mass gatherings and smaller meetings;
  • Mandatory quarantine of buildings or residential areas;
  • Internal or external border closures;
  • Stay-at-home restrictions for entire states, regions or countries.
  • Worker restrictions in organisation to 50% or less.

Follow the guidelines of the MOHS and Regional Government authorities in your area, region or and/or country on the steps to be taken, or call the PHH Telehealth number.

Yes it is effective as long as it is worn correctly at all times.

If you are infected, the use of surgical face masks will reduce the risk of you infecting other people.

In fact, it is possible that if you do not wear and care for the face mask appropriately it can give you a false of security and increased contact between hands, mouth and eyes while wearing them.

There are currently no vaccines against human coronaviruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19.

This is why it is very important to prevent infection and to take measures to contain further spread of the virus.

The development of vaccines will take time. Several pharmaceutical companies and research laboratories are working on vaccine candidates.

It will, however, take many months or even years before any vaccine can be widely used, as it needs to undergo extensive testing in clinical trials to determine its safety and efficacy.

However based on current progress global leaders are optimistic that we could have a vaccine as early as end 2020. Realistically we could be looking at mid 2021.

Having the influenza vaccine does not protect you against Covid 19. The virus that causes Influenza and COVID-19 are two very different viruses. The seasonal influenza vaccine will not protect against COVID-19.

Most important is for each one of us to take personal responsibility and ownership to prevent the spread by practicing basic hygiene and safety behaviours.

Getting the equilibrium to SURVIVE (sustain self, institution and country); PROTECT JOBS (ensuring livelihoods are kept to protect far greater social and disease impact in communities); and DELIVER OUR PURPOSE (ensuring we continue to live and provide what we can for the development of the profession, institution and the country) is what is needed at this moment.

Together we can and we will.

CCC Policies

(1) Stay at home and do not come to work.
(2) Inform askHR@yoma.com.mm and your direct manager immediately.
(3) AskHR will open a case and do an assessment, include contact tracing. Please cooperate fully.
(4) Based on the assessment, the CCC will determine the actions you should take.

(1) Stay at home and do not come to work.
(2) Call Pun Hlaing Hospital’s TeleHealth - 09 887 700 926, (between 8 am and 8 pm) even if you have your own family doctor.
(3) Only come back to work when you get medical clearance from Pun Hlaing Hospital’s TeleHealth.

Advise your staff member to stay at home and to contact TeleHealth Service on 09887700926

Follow up with your staff member to see how they are. If they have a fever ask them to write down their temperature in the morning and afternoon.

Do NOT allow the staff back to work unless they have a medical clearance certificate issued by TeleHealth. This can be done over the phone.

Working for the Yoma Group gives you free access to some of the best doctors in Myanmar, at Pun Hlaing Siloam Hospital.

TeleHealth allows you to speak to a doctor and have a consultation over the phone or on Viber.

The TeleHealth hotline number is:
09887700926

Step 1: Call TeleHealth on 09887700926

Step 2: Confirm your employment –give the hospital your employee ID (refer to profile page on Yoma Connect).

Step 3: You will be given an appointment time and a doctor will call by phone or Viber

Step 4: If you require medicine the hospital will deliver this to your home

*The cost of this service is covered by the Yoma Health plan

If you are being tested you need to let your manager know immediately and contact Martin Appel (09777436997) or Valentina Lwin Bailey (09777225333) and askHR@yoma.com.mm as soon as possible.

A positive case could be an employee or a customer. As soon as we have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in any of our businesses the following must happen:

Notify Martin Appel (09777436997) or Valentina Lwin Bailey (09777225333) and <a href="mailto:askHR@yoma.com.mm">askHR@yoma.com.mm

Contact tracing team will determine all Layer 2 contacts and notify them

Layer 2 contacts will be asked to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 21 days.

Layer 3 contacts will be asked to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 7 days

The Workplace will be immediately closed and professionally cleaned

Yoma will follow the recommendations by the Government authorities to determine how long the workplace will close

Yes, if you are asked to self-isolate you will be placed on Work from Home (WFH) or paid leave

Contact tracing determines the layer of contact someone has to a positive case.

The CCC has established a group of trained staff to do contact tracing. They will determine who has had direct contact with the positive case and contact those staff.

Example:

Layer 1 - Mandatory government isolation
Layer 2 – Must self-isolate at home and monitor for symptoms for 21 days
Layer 3 – Must self-isolate for 7 days and monitor for symptoms
Layer 4 - Contact tracing team will advise if self-isolation is necessary

Self-isolation is the best way to prevent community transmission. Self-isolation means you stay at home and do not leave the house for a period of time. Please follow these instructions for self-isolation

  • All people in your house need to self-isolate with you
  • Vulnerable people (ie: mother, father, grandparents) need to be under compete isolation in a separate room
  • Ensure that you wash hands regularly and always keep hand sanitizer in accessible areas of the house (dining room, lounge, TV room)
  • Wear a mask you and are in common areas of the house
  • In common areas keep a distance of 6 feet apart from each other
  • Monitor your temperature daily in the morning and evening and keep a record
  • Monitor the development of any symptoms ie: fever, cough, diarrhea, difficulty breathing
  • Keep hydrated with fluids and eat nutritious food
  • Do not share food or utensils with family members
  • If anyone in the family develops signs and symptoms that require medical attention go to hospital
  • Do not let visitors into your house
  • Have a friend/family member deliver food to your house. Do not let them inside
  • Contact askHR@yoma.com.mm if you do not have this level of support and we will make arrangements for you
  • Clean all surfaces that you come in to contact with before you go into self-isolation (car steering wheel, seat belt, door handles etc…)

The Group has added an extra COVID-19 medical coverage for all staff unless covered under a separate Health Insurance plan.

Special Covid-19 Cover

In order to cover staff during COVID –19 Pandemic the following additional cover will apply
1) Outpatient medical coverage for COVID-19 related medical issues will be reimbursed 100% up to a maximum of 400,000 Ks per employee.
2) Inpatient hospitalization expenses will be reimbursed as follows:
a) 100% of inpatient medical expenses up to 2,000,000 Ks
b) 50% of the next 4,000,000 Ks

Example: Employee incurs a COVID-19 related inpatient hospital medical bill of 8,000,000 Ks. The reimbursement will be a total of 5,000,000 Ks made up of (i)100% of first 2,000,000 Ks and (ii) 50% of next 6,000,000 Ks.

Overseas Travel

All overseas travel requires prior approval from CEO/CHRO

If you are intending to travel for work or personal reason you must complete a Travel Declare form.

Click here for the detailed International Travel Policy

Domestic Travel

If you are traveling within Myanmar for personal or work reasons you must complete a Travel Declare form.

Government relations department can help.

Contact askHR@yoma.com.mm and we will work with the Government Relations team to arrange a new visa for you and your family members.

Yes, in a code red your management may require you to use your annual or casual leave during the period of time that you are unable to attend work. If you are required to use your leave you must apply for it via the Yoma Connect App.

Yes, leave is an important benefit to ensure our employees have a good work & life balance. If you require time off you can apply for leave via the Yoma Connect App.

Unless you have direct contact with the positive patient or someone you have had contact with has had direct contact, you do not need to self-isolate.

If you are unsure what you should do you can contact askHR@yoma.com.mm and you will be allocated a case officer to determine your level of risk.

Stay at home! Do NOT come to work. Contact the Telehealth service on 09 8870 0926 and talk to a doctor. The Doctor will advise what to do. Do not return to work unless you have received a medical clearance certificate

If you experience any COVID-19 symptoms and have been off work, you will require a medical clearance certificate. This Certificate must come from Pun Hlaing Siloam Hospital, Telehealth. Managers must not allow their staff to return to work until this certificate has been issued.

Yes, employees who need to work from home can claim up to 15,000 MMK per month for reimbursement.


Division Human Resources
Last Updated 4th August 2020
Approved by Martin Appel

All requests are to be submitted to Travel Declare via the electronic form Travel Declaration Form

Requests will be reviewed and approved by Entity Head/CEO/MD in consultation with Martin Appel, Group Head HR. All Exco travel will be reviewed by Melvyn Pun, Yoma Group CEO; Martin Appel, Head of Group HR. Dr Gershu may provide consultation health advice. The travel request should include:

  • purpose of the travel,
  • why the business cannot be concluded via video-conferencing
  • detailed plans of testing and quarantine requirements both in the country being travelled to and Myanmar (or their home country if not based in Myanmar) on their return
  • related costs

If approved Yoma Group will cover all relevant travel related costs including testing and quarantine and no personal leave entitlement will need to be utilized for quarantine periods.

The Yoma Group is sympathetic with staff who have immediate family living outside of Myanmar and have been unable to see them for some time due to COVID 19 restrictions. Any travel requests are to be submitted via Travel Declare via the electronic form Travel Declaration Form
Requests will be reviewed and approved by Entity Head/CEO/MD in consultation with Martin Appel, Group Head HR. All Exco travel will be reviewed by Melvyn Pun, Yoma Group CEO; Martin Appel, Head of Group HR. Dr Gershu may provide consultation health advice. The travel request should include:

  • reasons for the travel
  • detailed plans of testing and quarantine requirements both in the country being travelled to and Myanmar on their return
  • where the staff member plans to do this quarantine and the associated costs (quarantine costs and testing).

If the travel is approved, the employee will need to bear the cost of testing and/or quarantine in countries being travelled to, and on return to Myanmar.

If the employee is unable to work effectively during any parts of these trips including the quarantine portion it will be regarded as either paid or unpaid leave, depending on the employee’s leave balance.

As with family related travel, we are sympathetic with staff who need to travel outside of Myanmar for genuine medical reasons. Any requests for such travel are to be submitted via Travel Declare via the electronic form Travel Declaration Form

Requests will be reviewed and approved by Entity Head/CEO/MD in consultation with Martin Appel, Group Head HR. All Exco travel will be reviewed by Melvyn Pun, Yoma Group CEO; Martin Appel, Head of Group HR. Dr Gershu may provide consultation health advice. The travel request should include:

  • reasons for the travel
  • detailed plan of testing and quarantine requirements both in the country being travelled to and Myanmar on their return
  • related cost.

If approved Yoma Group will not cover the cost of testing or quarantine in countries being travelled to or on the return to Myanmar.

If the employee is unable to work effectively during any parts of these trips including the quarantine portion it will be regarded as either paid or unpaid leave, depending on the employee’s leave balance. If the employee cannot return to work for medical reasons this would be medical leave.

**If not approved this travel will be regarded as International Travel for other reasons.

This includes travel for reasons such as such as entertainment, holiday etc. which also needs to be registered at Travel Declare via the electronic form Travel Declaration Form

The employee will need to bear the cost of testing and/or quarantine in countries being travelled to, and on return to Myanmar.

If the employee is unable to work effectively during any parts of these trips including the quarantine portion it will be regarded as either paid or unpaid leave, depending on the employee’s leave balance.

International travel for Business purpose International travel to visit family International travel for Medical reasons International Travel for other reasons
Process (Travel Declaration Form)
Cost of Quarantine/ Testing in country being travelled to Covered by Yoma Group Covered by Employee Covered by Employee Covered by Employee
Access to Quarantine facilities in Myanmar Covered by Yoma Group Covered by Employee Covered by Employee Covered by Employee
Costs of Quarantine Covered Covered by Employee Covered by Employee Covered by Employee
Cost of COVID-19 Testing Covered Not Covered Not Covered Not Covered
Leave considerations No personal leave required If unable to work effectively Paid/ Unpaid Leave If unable to work effectively Paid/ Unpaid Leave If unable to work effectively Paid/ Unpaid Leave

(Effective from 20 April 2020 to until further notice)

All yoma employees under the Yoma health insurance will be entitled to additional Covid-19 medical coverage during pandemic.

(1) Outpatient medical coverage for COVID-19 related medical issues will be reimbursed 100% up to a maximum of 400,000 ks per staff.

(2) Inpatient hospitalization expenses will be reimbursed as follows:

  • 100% of inpatient medical expenses up to 2,000,000 ks
  • 50% of the next 4,000,000 ks

Example: Employee incurs a COVID-19 related inpatient hospital medical bill of 6,000,000 ks. The reimbursement will be (i) 4,000,000 ks made up of 100% of first 2,000,000 ks and (ii) 50% of next 4,000,000 ks.