Should hospitals inform patients and family that COVID positives nurses and staff may be working on a unit?

[DesiDani]

Not tell them that a specific employee is working, but that they may be come into contact with an employee who is positive for COVID.

[toomuchbaloney]

Do ethical and moral people intentionally expose vulnerable hospital patients to covid positive staff?

[RuralMOSchoolRN, ADN, RN]

On 1/17/2022 at 8:02 AM, toomuchbaloney said:

Do ethical and moral people intentionally expose vulnerable hospital patients to covid positive staff?

Apparently the CDC would like hospitals to do just that...  New regulations state that positive but asymptomatic healthcare workers should NOT quarantine and instead continue working.  Also, they want healthcare personnel that are symptomatic positive to return in five days (when data is still out whether they are contagious still... As of a month ago people were still contagious through day 10)

[toomuchbaloney]

2 hours ago, RuralMOSchoolRN said:

Apparently the CDC would like hospitals to do just that...  New regulations state that positive but asymptomatic healthcare workers should NOT quarantine and instead continue working.  Also, they want healthcare personnel that are symptomatic positive to return in five days (when data is still out whether they are contagious still... As of a month ago people were still contagious through day 10)

I consider your characterization a misrepresentation of the guidance.

[RuralMOSchoolRN, ADN, RN]

This is from the CDC webpage.  Most hospitals, at least in my area, are currently utilizing the crisis designation on this chart.

[toomuchbaloney]

17 minutes ago, RuralMOSchoolRN said:

This is from the CDC webpage.  Most hospitals, at least in my area, are currently utilizing the crisis designation on this chart.

The science indicates that fully vaccinated individuals who have break through infection with asymptomatic or mild illness are not a substantial threat to spread omicron after day 5.  So, while unvaccinated illnesses have our health systems in crisis and at a breaking point staff will be asked by employers to work when feeling unwell.  It's too bad we're working on a third year of crisis isn't it. 

The CDC would like people to get vaccinated and boosted.  They would like people to wear masks when in public and avoid crowds. The CDC isn't really wanting contagious people to work in healthcare settings. 

[Daisy4RN]

Am I reading the chart correctly, that the CDC is now saying that unvaccinated HCWs can now work even if infected with no post Covid negative test needed. Anyway, I thought they were all fired already. 
 

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

Should the hospital inform patients and family that MRSA positive staff may be on the unit? Should we tell them that many of the surfaces in a hospital likely have pathogens? Should we tell them when they sit on the floor that people are often incontinent on the floor? 

[Daisy4RN]

11 minutes ago, nursej22 said:

Should the hospital inform patients and family that MRSA positive staff may be on the unit? Should we tell them that many of the surfaces in a hospital likely have pathogens? Should we tell them when they sit on the floor that people are often incontinent on the floor? 

How would we know that any staff was MRSA positive, and even if so they would probably not have an active infection unlike the positive Covid HCW.

We did (sometimes) warn people about dirty surfaces and floors, cuz some people are just gross. 

[MunoRN, RN]

14 minutes ago, Daisy4RN said:

How would we know that any staff was MRSA positive, and even if so they would probably not have an active infection unlike the positive Covid HCW.

We did (sometimes) warn people about dirty surfaces and floors, cuz some people are just gross. 

A positive Covid test doesn't mean the person is still contagious, people who have had an active Covid infection will often continue to test positive for a period of time after they are no longer contagious.  

For some time now the standard for determining whether someone needs to isolate, for both patients and staff, is a period of time after the onset of symptoms.  People are most contagious around the time of symptom onset, and are possibly most contagious before symptoms even start, symptoms typically last far longer than the presence of a replicate-capable virus.

[Daisy4RN]

Maybe it has changed but I had Covid in Oct and was told by the County Health Dept to isolate until no fever for 24 hrs and symptoms were better/improving (subjective!). I believe the PCR test is the one that can give positive results post Covid so people should use the rapid antigen test(which I am sure could also produce a false positive but better results). Also, my County is stating on the website that even though CDC states to isolate for 5 days that 10 is better. 

[toomuchbaloney]

30 minutes ago, Daisy4RN said:

Maybe it has changed but I had Covid in Oct and was told by the County Health Dept to isolate until no fever for 24 hrs and symptoms were better/improving (subjective!). I believe the PCR test is the one that can give positive results post Covid so people should use the rapid antigen test(which I am sure could also produce a false positive but better results). Also, my County is stating on the website that even though CDC states to isolate for 5 days that 10 is better. 

CDC recommends 10 days too.