Nurses Oppose New CDC Rule Lowering Isolation Time for COVID-Positive Nurses

[tnbutterfly - Mary]

Many nurses have responded negatively to the new CDC guidelines for shortening isolation time for health care workers who test positive for COVID as it anticipates a surge in hospitalizations due to the Omicron variant. Healthcare workers with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic can return to work after 5 days with a negative test, and that isolation time can be cut further if there are staffing shortages. “Healthcare workers who have received all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses, including a booster, do not need to quarantine at home following high-risk exposures,” the CDC stated.

"This new policy will be a disaster for nurses and other essential workers on the frontlines," Minnesota Nurses Association President Mary C. Turner, RN, tweeted Dec. 29. "It may be good for businesses’ bottom lines to push their employees back to work faster, but it will put nurses, other workers, and the public at greater risk of contracting and spreading the COVID-19 virus."

What Do You Think?

Nurses Take to Twitter to Oppose Lowered Isolation Time Post-COVID

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

How bad was it Emergent? Omicron I take it?

 

[Emergent, RN]

1 hour ago, CrunchRN said:

How bad was it Emergent? Omicron I take it?

 

High fever that gradually subsided. Slept  a lot. Loss of appetite. Weight loss.

I suffered much more with vaccine reaction I had. I assume it was the new strain,  that has become the dominant one. The testing company doesn't tell you, I assume that is an additional test.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Glad you are better. I guess everyone is going to get it at some point. So many positives at work now.

 

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

I've seen nurses come back that are symptomatic. They just don't have the time to stay home and they say as much. I was out for almost a month in November. Used almost all of my sick time. I get it but it's playing with fire. Management loves it though

[Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN]

Saw a report today showing a sharp uptick in covid infections in pts (who tested negative at admission) in facilities where positive-tested staff are back at work.

Well, that didn’t take long, eh? Who knew? ???

[toomuchbaloney]

https://khn.org/news/article/hospital-acquired-covid-nosocomial-cases-data-analysis/

The morbidity and mortality for hospital acquired covid is high. 

[Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN]

I

On 1/9/2022 at 1:48 AM, toomuchbaloney said:

https://khn.org/news/article/hospital-acquired-covid-nosocomial-cases-data-analysis/

The morbidity and mortality for hospital acquired covid is high. 

That refers to people who were admitted to inpatient for something else, and then got covid while they were there, as a clarification. Thanks, TMB.

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

What annoys me is this:  for two years, those in the media and on social media harped on the fact that the CDC and Dr Fauci were Science incarnate, basically sent from heaven and infallible. If you questioned even the most minute statement from them, you were told to “follow the science” and that only some sort of Trump-supporting idiot (which I am certainly not) would question Science. 
Well, now, they (our “science” messengers from on high) have announced that we can shorten quarantine periods. Now, suddenly, the message I’m hearing from all corners is “they’re in the pocket of industry, you can’t trust them.”  But I thought they were “science”!  Everyone’s opinion on how trustworthy the CDC is changed real quick once the CDC said something they didn’t personally agree with. Lotta armchair scientists out here all of the sudden second-guessing Dr Fauci. 

[DesiDani]

A coworker is back after 5 days. She says she still feels sick, but she is clear to work. And yes she is still positive. 

At least she is vaccinated so it really doesn't matter, so I'm told.

[toomuchbaloney]

2 hours ago, CommunityRNBSN said:

What annoys me is this:  for two years, those in the media and on social media harped on the fact that the CDC and Dr Fauci were Science incarnate, basically sent from heaven and infallible. If you questioned even the most minute statement from them, you were told to “follow the science” and that only some sort of Trump-supporting idiot (which I am certainly not) would question Science. 
Well, now, they (our “science” messengers from on high) have announced that we can shorten quarantine periods. Now, suddenly, the message I’m hearing from all corners is “they’re in the pocket of industry, you can’t trust them.”  But I thought they were “science”!  Everyone’s opinion on how trustworthy the CDC is changed real quick once the CDC said something they didn’t personally agree with. Lotta armchair scientists out here all of the sudden second-guessing Dr Fauci. 

That's the problem with a population that depends upon social media and propagandists to tell them who to trust in the midst of a public health emergency. 

[LTC Advocate]

My long term care facility had reduced the time as well. The management thinks that we all will get omicron eventually. 

Isolating our residents takes a major toll on their well being. Some highly cognitive had started to withdraw and not come out of their rooms. Not out of fear,but despair. 

I'm not sure it less time is a bad thing for my residents. We are very viligent with rapid test and symptom checks. The 2 year isolation speeds to be causing them to deteriate faster. 

[LTC Advocate]

9 hours ago, CommunityRNBSN said:

What annoys me is this:  for two years, those in the media and on social media harped on the fact that the CDC and Dr Fauci were Science incarnate, basically sent from heaven and infallible. If you questioned even the most minute statement from them, you were told to “follow the science” and that only some sort of Trump-supporting idiot (which I am certainly not) would question Science. 
Well, now, they (our “science” messengers from on high) have announced that we can shorten quarantine periods. Now, suddenly, the message I’m hearing from all corners is “they’re in the pocket of industry, you can’t trust them.”  But I thought they were “science”!  Everyone’s opinion on how trustworthy the CDC is changed real quick once the CDC said something they didn’t personally agree with. Lotta armchair scientists out here all of the sudden second-guessing Dr Fauci. 

Right? It's always been understood that in order to find best practices,questioning medical professionals and scientist is part of the scientific method. Hence why we get 2nd 3rd etc opinions. One specialist may say something different than the next. Seeking various opinions has always been our right. Could you imagine how medical science/treatments would have been effected if no one in history  was permitted to question it? Probably would not be as medically advanced as we are and a whole lot of lives lost. 

I agree,you can't even question the current experts without being labeled as a science denier and radical conspiracy Trump supporter. This is strange to me. I can't remember encountering anything like it. 

Then you get the people who will absolutely not get vaccinated. Strange times indeed.