COVID-19, If a nurse needs quarantined...

[Trampledunderfoot]

I have not been a nurse long and have never worked through an epidemic like this before.

If a nurse starts showing symptoms of covid-19 while at work, will she be sent home to be quarantined? Will she be quarantined at work so as not to spread it on her way home or to her family? Will she be made to continue working so healthy nurses would have a better chance of not catching it? (I don't know if this is a thing, but if a nurse as covid-19 then there is no risk for her to care for covid-19 patients, right? If she's basically well enough to carry on.) How is this scenario handled? If a nurse comes down with symptoms at home, will she be made to go to work anyway, or will she be made to stay home? If she is made to stay home for 2 weeks or more, will she be paid?

I work in a prison, but am interested in people's thoughts in other settings. I initially thought a prison would be least likely to catch the virus. If it is spread to the prison, then of course it would spread throughout the camp fast. But am I right in thinking it would probably be the least likely place to pick it up? Since it is not a hospital or clinic where sick people flock to, or a nursing home or school where you have families etc. in and out constantly.

Is there anyone out there with an outbreak at your facility? What are the working conditions like at this point?

Thanks.

[the VEGAN Professor]

16 hours ago, McMichigan said:

We have had nurses at my hospital who had been exposed and were not symptomatic. When we finally got the patients test results back confirming it was positive they were sent home to be off for 14 days with pay and did not have to use their PTO. These nurses worked until the patient test result came back positive, which is kind of scary. It took four days for the results to come back. These nurses are also not going to be tested unless they start having symptoms.

WOW!

[motherofcats, ADN]

On 3/17/2020 at 7:10 PM, McMichigan said:

We have had nurses at my hospital who had been exposed and were not symptomatic. When we finally got the patients test results back confirming it was positive they were sent home to be off for 14 days with pay and did not have to use their PTO. These nurses worked until the patient test result came back positive, which is kind of scary. It took four days for the results to come back. These nurses are also not going to be tested unless they start having symptoms.

same at my hospital. they did not want us to call off until a +COVID test. crazy.

[McMichigan]

Things have now changed at my hospital. I have now been exposed as well. They are now having us continuing to work if no symptoms, we just have to wear a mask. No longer any quarantining of staff without symptoms. Couldn't keep on doing it anyway would run out of staff. Are getting quite a few PUI's ( persons of interest )which is what we are calling those with symptoms but no test results back.