COVID-19 Positive Nurses Can Still Work If Asymptomatic, State Rules

COVID-19 patients in North Dakota may now be treated by nurses that have also tested positive for the virus.

The state has changed its medical policies to allow personnel who have contracted the coronavirus to continue working in COVID-19 wards as long as they are asymptomatic. This move comes as North Dakota has the highest rate of infection of any state.

Republican Governor Doug Burgum has previously balked at lockdowns and mask mandates in favor of the belief that “personal responsibility” will stop the virus, report the Grand Forks Herald.

Gov. Burgum announced the change on Monday as North Dakota hospitals reached capacity. Facilities will also be taking additional steps to accommodate the rising number of cases in the state including halting elective surgeries and enacting “surge” plans. Burgum said the changes were requested by hospital administrators.

In his press conference, Gov. Burgum said that since the positive nurses would only work with COVID-19 patients in wards where healthy personnel already wear protective equipment there was little risk of transmission. It will be up to hospitals to navigate challenges such as managing personnel pathways to and from work to avoid exposure.

Nurses remain among the health care workers with the highest risk of hospitalization for the virus.

The decision to allow COVID-19 positive health personnel to continue working with COVID-19 patients aligns with the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidelines.

In another effort to help hospitals, the governor has moved all moderate risk counties in the state to "high risk" status, meaning only limited capacities at businesses will be allowed and mandatory mask-wearing will be required.

While some counties meet the criteria to be labeled as criteria for "critical risk," Burgum insisted that shutting down businesses didn’t necessarily slow the virus in direct contradiction to a study by the CDC.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 death rates climbed to about 10 North Dakotan fatalities per day for October and November, reports Grand Forks Herald. The state government does not publish test data, but a tally by the Forum News Service found that 24.3% of test results from previously untested residents were positive.