The Trucking Industry is Dealing with COVID-19

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The trucking industry is dealing with COVID-19, from keeping drivers healthy to meeting spikes in demand for certain freight movements. As an increasingly aware United States mobilizes to contain the spread the new corona virus that causes COVID-19, the trucking industry is uniquely positioned to help in the containment effort — or further accelerate the spread of the pandemic.

The COVID-19 outbreak began in China. Its preferred host organism is bats — an animal it does relatively little harm to when present — somewhat like the common cold in humans. But sometimes, when a virus jumps from one host organism to another, it mutates into a more harmful infection.

You may have heard that COVID-19 is simply a much more aggressive version of the influenza virus, which flares up annually all over the planet. Like influenza, COVID-19 is caused by a virus. But they are completely different illnesses. And because your body has been exposed to the flu at some point in your life, your immune system already recognizes it as a harmful pathogen and has some immunities already in place — which can be boosted with a flu vaccination. But you have no immunity built up against this new virus, and a flu vaccination is useless.

President Trump, in his Oval Office speech on March 11, stressed how important it is for all Americans to be watchful for potentially ill people and do whatever they can on a personal level to help contain the spread of the disease. After that speech, announcements started flooding in on March 12 of large gatherings from sports events to Broadway shows to the Mid-America Trucking Show being cancelled or postponed.

Soap, Water, Sanitizer, and Mindfulness of Others

To help minimize your risk of contracting COVID-19 and spreading it to others, you first need to understand what to look for. According to Dr. Fauci, the disease is primarily respiratory in nature, so be on the lookout for anyone coughing or sneezing, or who looks feverish.

COVID-19 is primarily spread through airborne droplets of moisture — usually emitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes. While you can breath these droplets in and become infected that way, you can also become infected by touching surfaces contaminated with these droplets and them touching your mouth, nose or eyes with your hands.

The good news is that the virus has an oil-based enzyme that serves as its outer protective barrier that can be obliterated by common, everyday soap and warm water. So, your first line of defense against COVID-19 is to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, using ample amounts of soap, any time you’ve been around large groups of people or in areas where you feel someone may have contaminated surface areas around you. Failing the availability of soap and water, hand sanitizing lotions and fluids with at least 60% alcohol will work, according to the CDC.

Regardless of which cleaning/sanitation method you use, make a mental effort to limit any hand contact with your eyes, ears and mouth — especially if you have been in a suspect area and cannot quickly clean and sanitize your hands, fingers and face.

In addition, health officials recommend avoiding large gatherings and staying away from other people as much as possible in order to limit the chance of infection by people unaware that they are carrying the virus.