COVID 19-Return to Work Policy POST COVID-19

Policy:  

All Staff and employees of Compassionate Healthcare Nursing Services shall implement COVID-19 Return to work policy and procedure post COVID 19 Exposure.

What is considered Exposure?

• You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more
• You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
• You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them)
• You shared eating or drinking utensils
• They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you

Purpose: To prevent disease transmission and ensure the safety and wellbeing of the population served.

Procedure: Staff and contactor have to meet the criteria below for returning to work.

1. Quarantine for 14 days as recommended by the CDC as ideal or as follows to fast-track quarantine period to return to work sooner before end of 14 days

• After day 10 without testing and you are asymptomatic. (You must have clearance note from your health care practitioner.)
• After day 7 after receiving a negative test result (test must occur on day 5 or later.)

COVID Precautions Procedure upon Return to Work: After returning to work, Staff and Contactors MUST do the following:

• Wear a facemask for source control at all times while in the healthcare facility until all symptoms are completely resolved or at baseline.
• A facemask instead of a cloth face covering should be used for source control during this time period while in the facility.
• Wear N95 or equivalent or higher-level respirator (or other recommended PPE) when indicated, including when caring for patients with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• Self-monitor for symptoms, and seek re-evaluation from occupational health if symptoms recur or worsen.
• Stay at least 6 feet from others, wash your hands, avoid crowds, and take other steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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Policy:

All Staff and employees of Compassionate Healthcare Nursing Services shall implement COVID-19 Return to work policy and procedure post COVID-19 Infection.

Any Staff or contractor who tests positive for COVID MUST quarantine per CDC’s guidelines and stay home until cleared by primary care provider to return to work.

The CDC no longer recommends a test-based strategy in the majority of cases, as it is possible that one may continue to shed detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA but are no longer infectious. Therefore Staff and contactors shall follow the CDC’s symptom based approach or Test based strategy if recommended by their health care provider.

Staff and contactor have to meet the criteria below for returning to work.

Purpose: To prevent disease transmission and ensure the safety and wellbeing of the population served.

Procedure: Symptom based Approach-For this approach physician’s clearance note is needed and you must be cleared by the Agency’s Director of Nursing before resuming work.

1. If the Staff or contractor is not severely immunocompromised and was asymptomatic throughout their infection may return to work when at least 10 days have passed since the date of their first positive viral diagnostic test.

    2.  If the Staff or contractor is severely immunocompromised but who were asymptomatic throughout their infection                may return to work when at least 10 days and up to 20 days have passed since the date of their first positive viral                    diagnostic test.

    3.  Mild to moderate illness AND not severely immunocompromised:

• At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared and
• At least 24 hours have passed since last fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
• Symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) have improved

    4. HCP with severe to critical illness or who are severely immunocompromised1:

• At least 10 days and up to 20 days have passed since symptoms first appeared
• At least 24 hours have passed since last fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
• Symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) have improved
• Consider consultation with infection control experts

Procedure: Test-Based Strategy for Determining when to Return to Work.

     1.If the Staff is severely immunocompromised  and his/her doctor recommends this approach the following criteria                   MUST be met:

• Resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
• Improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), and ?
• Results are negative from at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected ≥24 hours apart (total of two negative specimens) tested using an FDA-authorized molecular viral assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

     2.If the Staff is severely immunocompromised  but not symptomatic:

• Results are negative from at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected ≥24 hours apart (total of two negative specimens) tested using an FDA-authorized molecular viral assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Return to Work Practices and Work Restrictions.

COVID Precautions Procedure upon Return to Work: After returning to work, Staff and Contactors MUST do the following:

• Wear a facemask for source control at all times while in the healthcare facility until all symptoms are completely resolved or at baseline.
• A facemask instead of a cloth face covering should be used for source control during this time period while in the facility.
• Wear N95 or equivalent or higher-level respirator (or other recommended PPE) when indicated, including when caring for patients with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• Self-monitor for symptoms, and seek re-evaluation from occupational health if symptoms recur or worsen.
• Stay at least 6 feet from others, wash your hands, avoid crowds, and take other steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Procedure for stopping quarantine before end of 14 days

• After day 10 without testing and you are asymptomatic. (You must have clearance note from your health care practitioner.)
• After day 7 after receiving a negative test result (test must occur on day 5 or later)

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