Coronavirus (COVID-19)

*** UPDATED POSTING ***

April 2, 2020, Rockville, MD — In compliance with public health guidance and the State of Maryland order to close non-essential business establishments, our testing facilities are temporarily closed. Our staff, including our research call center, participant recruitment, and interviewing teams, remain actively engaged while observing social distancing by working remotely. Our cognitive research team has developed techniques to enhance the quality of our testing, interviewing, and focus group facilitation in digital environments in order to support ongoing and new research projects.

We look forward to reopening our facilities as soon as it is deemed safe to do so. Thank you for your understanding.

 

March 6, 2020, Rockville, MD — As a company that works with the public to improve lives through social science research, we want to make sure everyone is informed about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and is aware of the steps we are taking to ensure your safety and the safety of our staff.

 

Facts about coronavirus*

  • Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure and may include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
  • There are two primary ways COVID-19 is transmitted — touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching your mouth, eyes or nose, or from droplets created by others who cough, sneeze or even talk within 6 feet of you. COVID-19 can survive on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours.
  • The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus.

 

General Prevention

We ask that you follow the precautions below even if you are not at risk, as participants and clients who visit EurekaFacts might be at higher risk.

  • If you do get sick, please stay home, rest and take care of yourself. Health officials recommend staying home until at least 24 hours after all symptoms have subsided. Please check with your health care professional to determine when it’s safe to be with other people.
  • Wash your hands frequently. Scrub with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and rinse thoroughly with clean water.
  • Sneeze or cough into the crook of your elbow or a tissue, not your hands. Wash your hands immediately after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
  • Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands — especially your mouth, nose, and eyes.
  • Regularly disinfect frequently touched surfaces including handles, doorknobs, work surfaces, sinks, etc.
  • Face masks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. Face masks are NOT protection against the virus.
  • Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol when hand washing is not an option.
  • Avoid close contact with someone who is sick.
  • Greet others in non-physical or low-contact ways, like elbow bumping.

Wash Your Hands for 20 Seconds

You’re supposed to wash your hands for 20 seconds which is the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice. But I’m tired of singing Happy Birthday and you probably are too, so @JenMonnier has done the very important public service of compiling other songs with roughly 20-second choruses to sing.

1. Love on Top (Beyonce)

2. Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)

3. Raspberry Beret (Prince)

4. Jolene (Dolly Parton)

5. Africa (Toto)

6. Truth Hurts (Lizzo)

EurekaFacts Prevention

EurekaFacts will follow best practices recommended by health authorities. Hygiene protocols in our focus group facilities and call center have been increased.

  • Staff and visitors will be encouraged to wash their hands often and use hand sanitizer between hand washing. Areas where we receive visitors, where we conduct interviews/focus groups, and the kitchen will be cleaned with disinfecting wipes at least twice daily.
  • For all in-person interviews, focus groups and tryouts, all equipment (i.e., headsets, tablets, mouse, etc.) used by the participant and interviewer will be wiped clean with disinfecting wipes before and after each use. All surfaces (i.e., focus group table, countertops, doorknobs, etc.) will be wiped clean with disinfecting wipes before and after each session. We will encourage all participants to use the hand sanitizer that is placed in all rooms.
  • When we conduct in-person interviews or focus groups, we will communicate with participants that we are using CDC guidelines and direct participants (and parents of participants who are children) to the CDC website. In study confirmation communications, we will ask that if a person is sick, they notify us in advance, and not attend the session if they have any symptoms.
  • In our call center, every person will wipe their headset and keyboard at the beginning and end of their shift. Cleaning of shared equipment, doorknobs, timeclock, etc. will occur at least twice a day.
  • We will stay informed of the news about coronavirus. If the suspension of large gatherings is recommended, we may suspend research projects and offer alternatives to in-person focus groups and one-on-one interviews. We will announce any changes via email and on the website.

 

Misinformation 

Although public health officials and medical experts have been working hard to evaluate this virus, uncertainty still exists and misinformation is being spread on social media. Please continue to refer to reputable medical sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization for updated, accurate information about coronavirus and necessary precautions. As always, your health care practitioner is also a source of credible information.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.

*All information and recommendations are from the CDC website. We will update the congregation if information or recommendations change.

 

About EurekaFacts

EurekaFacts is a full-service market and social research firm in the Washington, D.C. area. We help leaders understand and shape successful programs, communications, and brands through data collection and advanced analytics. Since 2003, we have collaborated with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and corporations to answer their research questions and business objectives. EurekaFacts is ISO 20252 certified, the highest quality standard in market and social research.