A Stryker employee "has reason to be tested for" COVID-19, the company confirmed March 11 to CBS affiliate WWMT.
The employee who may have contracted COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, visited a Stryker location in Portage, Mich. A small group of people who were in contact with the person were identified and asked to self-quarantine for at least 14 days.
Stryker is also encouraging employees to work remotely, limiting visitor access at many facilities and restricting nonessential employee travel. The devicemaker has activated cleaning protocols in accordance with industry best practices and CDC guidance.
The same day Stryker reported a potential case of the coronavirus in its workforce, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.
A Stryker spokesperson provided the following statement to Becker's Spine Review:
"The health and safety of our employees, customers and communities is our priority. This week, we learned an employee visiting one of our Portage, Michigan, locations has reason to be tested for COVID-19. We have identified a small group of people who were in contact with this individual and requested that they monitor their health for symptoms, seek medical guidance and evaluation, and self-quarantine for at least 14 days. We also activated our cleaning protocols following industry best practices and CDC guidance. We will continue to support our employees during this time."