CA Healthcare Workers Raise Concerns Over State’s New COVID-19 Protocols – NBC Bay Area

With the highly contagious omicron variant sending more people to California hospitals, the California Department of Public Health released new guidelines on Saturday, in an effort to ensure there are enough staff to handle the ‘increase.

According to new state guidelines, health workers who test positive for COVID-19 will no longer have to self-isolate or test negative and can return to work immediately if they are asymptomatic.

The new guidelines are in effect until February 1.

It’s a last resort for hospitals, but Sandy Reding, president of the California Nurses Association, said the move was a big mistake that puts patients at risk.

“We are very worried,” she said. “If you have healthcare workers who test positive for COVID for vulnerable populations, we can also spread the COVID virus inside the hospital. “

NBC Bay Area contacted the California Department of Public Health, which issued the following statement:

“The department offers temporary flexibility to help hospitals and emergency service providers respond to unprecedented increases and staff shortages. Hospitals should exhaust all other options before resorting to this temporary tool. Facilities and providers using this tool should have COVID-19 positive asymptomatic workers who only interact with COVID-19 positive patients whenever possible. “

State officials added that asymptomatic workers positive for COVID-19 will need to wear an N-95 respirator.

Dr George Rutherford, professor of epidemiology at UCSF, said the state’s move was surprising but not unprecedented.

“It’s about having infected people take care of infected people. We did it with Ebola in South Africa. We already have. This is not the first game option in our playbook. I think the personnel problems are such that they have led the state to publish these guidelines, ”he said.

Reding said that instead of helping to increase the number of healthcare workers, lifting the isolation requirements would only increase the chances of nurses getting sick.

“If we are going to prepare for the surge, let’s put in place protocols to reduce transmission. Which means people with COVID don’t come to work, ”Reding said.