As though the current COVID isn’t transmissible enough, this new variant spreads about 70% more easily. Hence 70% more urgency to educate your employees/members here and now.
The variant has already been found in 3 states. And the two countries in which it is firmly established --Britain and South Africa -- have suffered dramatic increases in case rates.
Likewise, vaccine education needs to start now because “a great deal of skepticism” about the vaccine is already being planted in people's minds. For instance, a rumor that six subjects died during the Pfizer trials has swept through social media so thoroughly that Reuters devoted an entire article to rebutting it, noting:
Randomly, about 6 adults out of 60,000 would die over 9 months, trial or no trial;
No deaths were caused by the vaccine; and -- get ready --
...4 of those 6 deaths were in the control group.
Maybe employees/members who heard this original rumor don’t read Reuters. But they do read what you send them because, well, you know how kids turn birthday cards from grandparents upside down hoping that money falls out? Then the responsible parent says: “Read the card, dear,” at which point, racked by guilt, they give the actual card a perfunctory glance.
Points programs are the same. Employees and (to a lesser extent) carrier members expect and usually receive some kind of incentive or drawing to comply with your requests. Usually, as in completing health risk assessments (“Now admit how much you drink. Really. Don’t be shy.”), they just collect their points without heeding/reading the actual advice to drink less.
Not so with COVID. People are screaming for information, both of the spread and of the vaccine. Unfortunately, disinformation is crowding out correct information…but you have three advantages in educating your employees about the latter:
You offer incentives, as mentioned;
Your information comes right to them; and, most importantly,
You know us.
Yes, knowing us is key. We have two specifically pertinent quizzes tan, rested, and ready: COVID Safety Factoids for 2021, and Vaccine Mythbusting!
These come prepackaged on your own “home page,” which is configured to provide links to your other resources, downloadable “cheat sheets” (right into your Apple Wallet or Google Play) on what to ask/tell your doctor before getting the vaccine. We go well beyond the cliches to cover (for example):
Why the six-foot rule is not an invisible wall;
Why masks are not an issue of “personal freedom,” but rather an issue of consideration to others;
The difference between outdoor exposure risk and indoor exposure risk;
Why liquor stores are vastly safer than bars.
For its part, the vaccine quiz dispels myths, assures people of safety, anticipates side effects, and did we mention dispels myths? Plus, as you hopefully recall, it’s not just our word against random tweets. Our quizzes are reviewed by doctors at Harvard Medical School and carry the Harvard Medical School “shield.”
You can also customize your home page in many ways—program message, contest/incentive message, live newsfeed, “coronatips,” logo and more, as in the example at the very end.
Let’s check a few more boxes to show you how to get started this week or next:
You can offer this page as a URL link (here is a generic page, with other quizzes) to avoid both security concerns and yet one thing employees need to sign up for. People can then enter their own existing portals to register for the incentives after they take the quiz. (Or not. Unlike wellness programs, many people play our quizzes because they want to, not to "unfold the card" for the money to fall out.)
You can enter your own linked information basically in every cell, customize the questions, and add your own.
While we are even more absurdly affordable as an annual contract (about a fifth what wellness costs, with far greater behavior change and a killer guarantee that we will be twice as engaging as they are), you can sign up for a 4-month minimum, or else just pay us per quiz completed. No need for a large budget or detailed contracting. A PO or credit card will do the trick. You should more than break even if you avoid one hospitalization, not that the arithmetic should matter in COVID avoidance.
Contact us now, so that we reach your employees before the new COVID variant does.
