The CDC changed its recommendation for the amount of time asymptomatic people who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate. Based on these new guidelines, asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic employees who test positive can now return to work after five days of quarantine. The new return to work process is based on evolving evidence and experience with omicron. As you can imagine this does affect Houston Methodist, which has seen more than 700 employees test positive in the past week. We have 415 inpatients with COVID-19 right now and we must safely return to work to care for them, as well as our outpatients and inpatients who have conditions other than COVID-19.
Below are frequently asked questions that can hopefully clarify our new return-to-work process. Here’s a simple flow chart to help explain what we discuss in detail below. We appreciate all that you are being asked to do in these unprecedented times.
Q: What do I do if I have obvious COVID-19 symptoms?
A: Please schedule a COVID-19 test by texting “HM Employee Health” to 45991. Please go home and seek medical care from your physician if necessary.
Q: What do I do if I think I might have COVID-19 symptoms?
A: If you have allergy-like symptoms and are scheduled to work within the next 24 hours, contact your manager and get tested at an HM facility. If it is after-hours, your manager can assist you in getting a home kit.
Q: What if I test positive for COVID-19?
A: Please isolate yourself, notify your manager immediately and instead of calling Employee Health, log into your employee health portal in MARS. Then click on the
red bell and complete/submit the COVID-19 monitoring questionnaire. To access your employee health portal from your cell phone, please text “HM Employee Health” to 45991. Click on the link and sign in with your HM username and password. If you test positive with a home kit, there is no need to schedule a PCR test.
Q: What new guidelines did the CDC release Monday?
A: The CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others. The CDC explains: 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. Therefore, people who test positive should isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting others. This story on NPR does a great job explaining the changes.
Q: Is Houston Methodist following the new return to work guidelines?
A: Due to an increase of patients and an increase of employees testing positive, we are following the CDC’s contingency guidelines which indicate that employees and physicians who are asymptomatic can return to work after five days from their test result. Employees and physicians who have mild or resolving symptoms, and are fever free for 24 hours, can return to work after five days since the onset of symptoms. No further testing is required.
Q: Under these new guidelines, what if I test positive for COVID-19 and I am asymptomatic? What if I have mild symptoms and am not improving?
A: Employees and physicians who test positive and are asymptomatic can return to work on Day 6 after their positive test if no symptoms — with no further testing required. If you have mild symptoms and are fever free for 24 hours, you can return to work on day six after your onset of symptoms.
Q: What if I test positive and I have symptoms that are more serious?
A: If you have more severe symptoms or you are not improving, don’t return to work and please arrange for a virtual visit with your doctor, visit a same day clinic or access virtual urgent care. You can return to work on you doctor’s advice and when symptoms improve without further testing.
Q: With this faster return to work, are there other safeguards we should take at work?
A: Yes. We must be even more vigilant now by always wearing our masks, our PPE and socially distancing in our break rooms or in other common areas where we might take breaks with coworkers. It is even more important to not overcrowd break rooms and be disciplined about wearing our masks to work. We have asked leaders to identify additional rooms that can be used safely as breakrooms so social distancing is possible.
Q: Will this change our surveillance program?
A: No. But to add to our arsenal of options, we are now offering a BinaxNow at-home kit for employee surveillance testing in lieu of a PCR test. To qualify for this at-home test, employees must be asymptomatic and fully vaccinated. Employees with an approved exemption must continue surveillance PCR testing every seven days and are not eligible to complete testing with a BinaxNow kit or any other at-home test. Walk-in surveillance appointments are no longer available. Here is a list of where you can pick up a home test, as supplies last, for surveillance testing.
Q: Is the HR policy about COVID-19 leave changing?
A: With the return to standard short-term disability on Jan. 2, employees will use our standard process for a medical leave of absence/STD if they are out with COVID-19 for more than seven calendar days. Employees must use PTO for that first week and go to regular STD on the 8th calendar day. Employees can borrow PTO for this reason only to bridge to STD. Please see this policy for more details.
Home testing questions
Q: Who can get a Binax home test kit?
A: Employees who have not been tested in the last 14 days and want one for surveillance testing. You can get one here.
Q: Can someone else pickup my Binax kit for me?
A: If you are unable to pick up your kit, someone can pick it up for you but must have your badge or employee ID number with them. These are not intended for family and friends.
Q: How do I know when I get a positive result on the Binax kit?
A: Please see this helpful guide.
Q: Are home tests reliable?
A: Please see this from the CDC.
Q: Where else can my family and friends access testing?
A: Please see this list of local testing sites.
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