Correct me if I am wrong, but it is my understanding from a recent article on COVID testing limitations that the current widely used PCR will be positive even if a portion of genetic material is present on the swab, which may not indicate a whole virus presence or potential infectious state. Of course the whole virus may be present as well!

While I realize that PCR testing is the best we have right now, it is good to have an awareness of all information, especially this info that administrators may use to argue for earlier RTW than a negative test.

Has anyone else seen this information? Thoughts?

Deb Sampson

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Natalie Hartenbaum
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2020 12:01 PM
To: MCOH-EH
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] [EXT] Re: COVID-19 Test Results

So the 7/3.

I am getting such push back from clients that are sticking to the 14 days

Natalie P. Hartenbaum, MD, MPH, FACOEM
President and Chief Medical Officer
OccuMedix
PO Box 197
Dresher, PA 19025
215-646-2205
occumedix@comcast.net

On Mar 27, 2020, at 11:48 AM, William.Scott <William.Scott@carle.com> wrote:
We are using the CDC timeline criteria for RTW. The PCR testing can remain positive for weeks and months despite lack of transmittable. Thus not a good measure for RTW from a clinical perspective.
Bill

William Scott, MD, MPH, FACOEM
Clinical Assistant Professor, Carle Illinois College of Medicine,
Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign
Head, Occupational & Envionmental Medicine & Employee Health
Carle Foundation Hospital, Carle Physician Group.

O 217-383-5383
M 217-372-4819

From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net> On Behalf Of Shea, Joann via MCOH-EH
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2020 9:17 AM
To: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Cc: Shea, Joann <jshea@tgh.org>
Subject: [EXT] Re: [MCOH-EH] COVID-19 Test Results
_______________________________
*****EXTERNAL EMAIL SOURCE*****
We have screened 421 HCW with 13 positives (3%).   6 employees and 7 providers
1-       Asymptomatic (screened related to our cander center exposure)
3-afebrile with just cough and malaise
9- typical fever, cough, chest tightness and malaise

This week we are testing around 80-90/day.

Wondering how others are handling RTW for COVID + HCW? We are requiring two neg COVID test 24 hours apart.   Now on day 12 with our first one, but she is still positive.

Thanks everyone!

JoAnn Shea, APRN, MS, COHN-S
Director, Team Member Health and Wellness
Tampa General Hospital
Office: 813-844-7692
Cell:      813-789-3441
jshea@tgh.org

From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces+jshea=tgh.org@mylist.net>On Behalf Of Thanassi, Wendy via MCOH-EH
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2020 12:05 AM
To: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Cc: Thanassi, Wendy <Wendy.Thanassi@va.gov>
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] Re: COVID-19 Test Results

I’d be interested in your positive rate testing employees? Stanford is 2.5%, or 97.5% negative. 150 tests yesterday.

What is SunQuest?

Wendy
Sent with BlackBerry Work
(www.blackberry.com)

From: Shea, Joann via MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Date: Thursday, Mar 26, 2020, 2:05 PM
To: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Cc: Shea, Joann <jshea@tgh.org>
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] COVID-19 Test Results

We are not entering into EPIC. Employee Health (aka Team Member Health) is coordinating a Healthcare worker screening clinic and we enter all labs into SunQuest which auto populates into our OH database. We have furloughed APRN or RN following up with team members and exposures.

We test all employees, medical staff and residents who meet our screening criteria.   Our current turnaround is 6-12 hours and our esoteric lab runs the test in-house.

Our Infectious Disease physicians are starting to see GI symptoms as presenting symptoms in the community, although we have not seen that at our healthcare organization yet.

Would like to hear what other organizations are doing post-exposure. We had exposure in our free standing Emergency Dept and Infusion Center. We did not quarantine due to large number of employees exposed as we would have to essentially shut down those areas. We opted to do daily symptom screening, twice a day temps and require exposed HCWs to wear surgical mask during work shift for 14 days.   We feel comfortable doing this since we can get same day results for anyone with symptoms and isolate quickly.

We do require 14 day self quarantine for domestic and international air travel and any travel from New York, Washington and newly designated domestic hotzones.

JoAnn Shea, APRN, MS, COHN-S
Director, Team Member Health and Wellness
Tampa General Hospital
Office: 813-844-7692
Cell:      813-789-3441
jshea@tgh.org

From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces+jshea=tgh.org@mylist.net>On Behalf OfGiovannetti, Mary
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 6:45 PM
To: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] COVID-19 Test Results

Our employees are tested at our urgent care instead of EH, so yes.

Mary C Giovannetti, DNP, APRN, FNP
Manager/Nurse Practitioner| Employee Health
Physician's Center, 100 East Wood St., Suite 204 | Spartanburg, SC 29303
o: 864-560-6514 | f: 864-560-6509 c: 864-497-4087
e:mgiovannetti@srhs.com | w: SpartanburgRegional.com

From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net> on behalf of Lisa Dyrdahl <Lisa_Dyrdahl@Valleymed.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2020 4:25 PM
To: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] COVID-19 Test Results

Warning: [This message came from outside of Spartanburg Regional Network]
Is anyone entering COVID testing results for employees into the EPIC record?

Thank you.

Lisa Dyrdahl, RN, BSN
Manager Employee Health
UWMC Valley Medical Center
Ph 425-228-3440 x5720
Fax 425-656-5066
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