Criteria for Return to Work for Healthcare Personnel with Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19 (Interim Guidance) 

Who this is for: healthcare personnel (HCP) with confirmed COVID-19, or who have suspected COVID-19 (e.g., developed symptoms of a respiratory infection [e.g., cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, fever] but did not get tested for COVID-19).

• Decisions about return to work with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should be made in the context of local circumstances.

• Options include a test-based strategy or a non-test-based strategy 

Use one of the below strategies to determine when HCP may return to work in healthcare settings

1. Test-based strategy. Exclude from work until

   • Resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and

   • Improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), and

   • Negative results of an FDA Emergency Use Authorized molecular assay for COVID-19 from at least two consecutive nasopharyngeal swab specimens collected ≥24 hours apart (total of two negative specimens)

1. Non-test-based strategy. Exclude from work until

   • At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and,

   • At least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared

If HCP were never tested for COVID-19 but have an alternate diagnosis (e.g., tested positive for influenza), criteria for return to work should be based on that diagnosis. 

After returning to work, HCP should:

• Wear a facemask at all times while in the healthcare facility until all symptoms are completely resolved or until 14 days after illness onset, whichever is longer

• Be restricted from contact with severely immunocompromised patients (e.g., transplant, hematology-oncology) until 14 days after illness onset

• Adhere to hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, and cough etiquette in CDC’s interim infection control guidance (e.g., cover nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, dispose of tissues in waste receptacles)

• Self-monitor for symptoms, and seek re-evaluation from occupational health if respiratory symptoms recur or worsen

 Crisis Strategies to Mitigate Staffing Shortages

• Healthcare systems, healthcare facilities, and the appropriate state, local, territorial, and/or tribal health authorities might determine that the recommended approaches cannot be followed due to the need to mitigate HCP staffing shortages. In such scenarios:

·         HCP should be evaluated by occupational health to determine appropriateness of earlier return to work than recommended above

·         If HCP return to work earlier than recommended above, they should still adhere to the Return to Work Practices and Work Restrictions recommendations above. For more information, see CDC’s Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure in a Healthcare Setting to Patients with COVID-19. 

Using the Non-Test algorithm above, each resident will need to keep track of:

ANY DAYS OF FEVER (AND WHAT DATE) [must have 3 days since last fever]

DATE OF FIRST SYMPTOM [must have 7 days since first symptom]

DATE OF ‘IMPROVEMENT OF RESP. SYMPTOMS’ [must have improvement of resp symptoms and the 3 days of zero fever] 

If the resident wants to try to obtain testing:

I would call:

WJ drive through: 504-962-6202** must call first

or the Ochsner hotline  844-888-2772

Or just show up to the Canal/Carrollton midcity Ochsner urgent care