Hospital Employee Health – June 1, 2020
June 1, 2020
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COVID-19: Nine Out of 10 HCP Recover Without Hospitalization
In what is considered an underestimate, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that more than 9,000 healthcare workers in the United States have been infected with novel coronavirus and 27 have died. Despite the severity of a spectrum of cases, 90% of the healthcare workers recovered without hospitalization.
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One COVID-19 Patient Exposed 43 Healthcare Personnel
An unsuspected case of COVID-19 — hospitalized as the pandemic was beginning in the United States — exposed 43 healthcare personnel and caused what are thought to be the first occupational infections with the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
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CDC Issues Return to Work Guidelines for Healthcare Personnel
Employee health professionals should consider their local situation with the coronavirus in using one of the two recommended options: a test-based method or a non-test-based method.
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CDC Recommends Universal Masking
In another new normal of the COVID-19 pandemic, all healthcare personnel should wear surgical masks throughout their entire shift, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. Moreover, patients should be actively screened for fever before entering the facility and wear their own mask or be provided one to receive care.
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Three National Surveys Document PPE Shortages
Three different national surveys revealed widespread shortages of personal protective equipment and other critical hospital supplies, a situation the president of the American Nurses Association compared to going into battle without armor.
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The Risk of COVID-19 to Pregnant Healthcare Personnel
Are there recommended work restrictions for pregnant healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is somewhat equivocal on the issue, essentially saying no heightened risk has been clearly established, but the known risk from similar viruses and influenza warrants caution.
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FDA: Do Not Use Antibody Tests to Diagnose COVID-19
While antibody tests are broadly seen as a way to determine immunity and exposure to the pandemic coronavirus, the Food and Drug Administration recently warned that tests should not be used as the “sole basis to diagnose COVID-19.”
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Group Issues Guidance on PPE Pressure Injuries
The bruised faces of healthcare workers have become a badge of courage, the price they are willing to pay for wearing respirators, masks, and other personal protective equipment over long work shifts caring for COVID-19 patients.
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Worker Bill of Rights in Pandemic
A union representing 15,000 healthcare workers in California has issued a “bill of rights” demanding the levels of testing and personal protective equipment needed to provide a safe workplace in the coronavirus pandemic.