[MCOH-EH] COVID-19: GI symptoms and co-morbidities

[PRATER, DEANNA]

CDC guidelines state that employees in patient care settings and food service need to be diarrhea free before returning to work.

Employees with co-morbidities should apply for a reasonable accommodation through their facility.  CDC have some language about pregnant workers and COVID-19 patients.

-----Original Message-----
From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces at mylist.net> On Behalf Of Abhijay Karandikar via MCOH-EH
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 08:12
To: mcoh-eh at mylist.net
Cc: Abhijay Karandikar <dr_abhik at yahoo.com>
Subject: [MCOH-EH] COVID-19: GI symptoms and co-morbidities

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1. Apart from screening for the usual respiratory symptoms, are you quarantining employees with GI symptoms in them or their family/contacts? If so, what symptom / symptom complex are you using? Are symptoms considered sufficiently reliable and prodromal to institute isolation?

This is from the American College of Gastroenterology: "The incidence of GI symptoms including nausea and/or diarrhea are uncertain with some reports below 5% and others at 50%.  There have been some reports of isolated diarrhea preceding cough and fever. "

2. Similarly, for health systems that are restricting employees from working with COVID-19 patients based on co-morbidities eg. cardiovascular, diabetes, Hepatitis B, COPD, CKD, cancers, is this based on consensus, IP recommendations or do you have new/emerging data that you are willing to share? There have been e-mails on this list looking at respiratory conditions, pregnancy and immunosuppression as disqualifiers from working with COVID-19 patients.

Thanks!

Stay safe and healthy everyone....

Abhijay

Abhijay P. Karandikar, MD, MPH, FACOEM

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