[World Now] Omicron’s ‘shortage of manpower’ US hospitals, even symptomatic staff go to work

The Washington Post reported that US hospitals are encouraging people with symptoms who may have spread the virus to return to work.

This is because the number of close contacts with confirmed cases subject to quarantine among hospital personnel has increased, resulting in a serious shortage of staff due to the spread of COVID-19 micron mutation.

According to reports, more than one-fifth of hospitals in the United States recently complained of a serious shortage of staff.

In fact, New Jersey’s Holy Name Medical Center found that 191 of its 3,500 daily employees took sick leave for this reason last month.

As hospitals face a severe manpower shortage, there is a growing demand for easing the return standards for COVID-19-infected employees to maintain essential medical service operations.

In response, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidelines at the end of last month.

The quarantine period has been reduced from 10 days to 5 days so that workers with mild symptoms and showing signs of improvement can return to work sooner.

In particular, he said that the quarantine period could be completely abolished if necessary depending on the supply and demand situation of the workplace.

However, in this case, the hospital recommended that asymptomatic or mild-symptomatic staff be returned first.

An official from Holy Name Medical Center said, “I was very happy when the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that people with mild symptoms or no fever can return to work 5 days after being infected with COVID-19.”

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However, some in the medical community are concerned about the measures taken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention without prior verification, but in recent weeks, hospitals in the United States have been applying relaxed guidelines.

A large hospital in Arizona notified its employees earlier this month that even if they were infected with COVID-19, they could return to work with the permission of their bosses.

“As a last resort, asymptomatic health care workers can continue to work and, where possible, should be assigned to care for patients with COVID-19,” the state health official said.

However, there are still voices opposing the change in the CDC’s return to work guidelines.

Candice Coldero, a nurse working at a hospital in Bradenton, Florida, was still developing fever and coughing symptoms seven days after she contracted the virus last month.

In this situation, the hospital explained the revised guidelines and requested a return to work, but he refused because he was concerned about the spread of the virus.

“It seemed like the hospital was trying to bring the staff back too soon,” said Coldero.

As one Illinois nurse noted, “the CDC return-to-work guidelines got me thinking that the health care system treats nurses as disposables.”

A recent study conducted in the UK also found that about a third of those infected with COVID-19 could still spread the virus after five days, the Washington Post reported.