If the employee is unable to be tested, return to the work should not occur until the employee has completed any mandated self-isolation period and is … CDC guidance for SARS-CoV-2 infection may be adapted by state and local health departments to respond to rapidly changing local circumstances. COVID-19 has forced many manufacturers to close their offices and operate their factories differently. Self-monitor for symptoms, and seek re-evaluation from occupational health if symptoms recur or worsen. For this group, we propose a gradual and staggered return to work [14]. © The Author(s) 2020. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Work Restrictions for Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure to COVID-19. Return to Work Guidelines Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) 17 March 2020 To help prevent the spread of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the community, Department of Defense (DoD) Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. Rapid tests based on viral antigen or antibody detection are often scarce [2]. Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in ... New CDC Return-to-Work Guidelines. Confirmed COVID-19 Exposure from PATIENT Encounter This algorithm is specific for a COVID -19 exposure from a patient. 1The studies used to inform this guidance did not clearly define “severely immunocompromised”. For employees who have a laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19, but are not showing any symptoms, CDC currently says they may return to work: After at least seven days have passed since the date of their first positive COVID-19 test; and They have had no subsequent illness Juan Carlos Rueda-Garrido, Mª Teofila Vicente-Herrero, Mª Teresa del Campo, Luis Reinoso-Barbero, Rafael E de la Hoz, George L Delclos, Stefanos N Kales, Alejandro Fernandez-Montero, Return to work guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic, Occupational Medicine, Volume 70, Issue 5, July 2020, Pages 300–305, https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqaa099. 27/05/2020. As many countries have flattened the epidemic curve, they are now examining strategies to reopen their economies, requiring evidence-based strategies to return workers to their jobs in the safest way possible. April 09, 2020. For persons with confirmed COVID-19 who did not have any symptoms Maintain isolation at home until: At least 10 days since the positive test Due to the extremely high number of COVID-19 cases, NMDOH is not able to provide return to work or work excuse letters. A: If a worker has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and isolated in accordance with the guidelines, an employer may only allow a worker to return to work on the following conditions: The worker has completed the mandatory 14 days of self-isolation; The worker may need to undergo a medical evaluation confirming fitness to work. Return to work guidelines. Respirator: A respirator is a personal protective device that is worn on the face, covers at least the nose and mouth, and is used to reduce the wearer’s risk of inhaling hazardous airborne particles (including dust particles and infectious agents), gases, or vapors. Since early 2020, manufacturing has not been the same. The use of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), based on viral-RNA detection, may be limited to high-risk patients, healthcare and first-responder personnel. To help prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Department of Defense has instituted transmission- Moderate Illness: Individuals who have evidence of lower respiratory disease by clinical assessment or imaging and a saturation of oxygen (SpO2) ≥94% on room air at sea level. RT-PCR is a useful diagnostic test in COVID-19, but used alone qualitatively (positive or negative), it may be inadequate to determine the end of a COVID-19-affected worker’s isolation. Asociación Española de Especialistas en Medicina del Trabajo. COVID-19: Return to Work Guidelines. Doing tests too early may result in test repetition and waste of resources, whereas delaying tests may delay return to work. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (, Mental health of staff working in intensive care during COVID-19. The isolated use of clinical criteria without laboratory support for return to work decisions would only be justified in circumstances where laboratory tests are unavailable [7,10,11]. HCP with mild to moderate illness who are not severely immunocompromised: Note:  HCP who are not severely immunocompromised and were asymptomatic throughout their infection may return to work when at least 10 days have passed since the date of their first positive viral diagnostic test.