The American Nurses Association said it opposes new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that “shortens the time for isolation and quarantine for health care workers infected with or exposed to Covid-19.”
In the CDC’s new guidance, asymptomatic patients only need to isolate for five days rather than 10. These asymptomatic individuals do, however, need to continue wearing a mask for another five days when around others.
But the ANA, which says it represents more than 4 million registered nurses, on Wednesday said the CDC “ is premature and tips toward economic needs as opposed to the health of nurses.” Though the Omicron variant is spreading in the U.S., the ANA says not enough is known about its impact.
The nurses association said it is concerned such “return-to-work guidance for all health care personnel under the updated mitigation strategies will endanger the health and safety of health care workers and those they encounter.”
“While staffing shortages are challenging for facilities experiencing a surge in cases, we must prioritize health care workers’ and patients’ health and safety, including allowing for sufficient time off for health care employees,” ANA President Ernest J. Grant said. “I urge the CDC to reconsider these guidelines and for policymakers to aggressively pursue other strategies to bolster the health care system. We support the (Biden) administration’s steps to call up more surge teams and use the Defense Production Act to increase access to testing while continuing to use every strategy to increase the number of Americans who are fully vaccinated and boosted.”
The CDC, which issued the new guidance earlier this week, said the change is “motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after.”
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the updated guidance ensure people can “safely continue their daily lives.”
“The Omicron variant is spreading quickly and has the potential to impact all facets of our society,” Walensky said earlier this week.
“CDC’s updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses,” she added. “These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives. Prevention is our best option: get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial and high community transmission, and take a test before you gather.”
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