With the omicron variant causing a surge in new COVID-19 cases nationwide, hospitals are finding themselves strapped for workers. Because of this, Rhode Island's state-run hospital system and a private nursing home are using workers who recently tested positive for the virus.
The two sites using COVID-positive staffers are the Respiratory and Rehabilitation Center of Rhode Island in Coventry, a private nursing home, and the state-run Eleanor Slater Hospital.
A spokesman for the Rhode Island Department of Health, Joseph Wendelken, shared with the Boston Globe that by Monday neither facility was at a crisis level of care anymore.
However, because of a facility's "fluid" status, when COVID-19 infections are spiking in Rhode Island, the hospitals needed staffers to work.
The Rhode Island nursing home used one asymptomatic COVID-positive staff member due to their lack of available workers. The employee worked only in its COVID-positive unit, spokeswoman Lori Mayer shared with the Globe.
The state-run hospital also used one asymptomatic staff person on-site Saturday after they had tested positive earlier in the week and one worker on Sunday, Wendelken said.
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Both remained masked while at Eleanor Slater Hospital, and the hospital's administrators "communicated that they would try to have them only caring for COVID-19 positive patients," Wendelken said.
The Rhode Island Department of Health shared on Friday it updated its guidance to match that of the CDC's when it comes to using infected workers in a "crisis" situation.
Under the policy, in a "crisis" situation, health care workers can work without any isolation even if they test positive for the virus and if they have symptoms. Workers are also required to wear N95 masks while working, according to the Globe.
Under non-crisis rules, Rhode Island health care workers can return to work after isolating for five days if they do not have symptoms or are mildly symptomatic with improving conditions. While returning they must also wear well-fitting masks for another five days.
Both facilities are no longer in crisis situations, but the health care facilities have been under scrutiny for their decision to use the COVID-positive staffers even though they were in a 'crisis' situation.
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