Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - Despite the summer, the Frankfurt University Hospital is again reaching its limits due to many corona infections. In order to maintain operations, employees who have tested positive are now allowed to work again after an isolation period of five days and without symptoms for at least two days, as the medical director of the Frankfurt University Hospital, Prof. Jürgen Graf, reported.
"Contrary to what was hoped, the situation has not eased this summer," said Graf. The number of Covid patients is currently at the level of March and thus marks this year's high on the normal wards in Hesse. Even if the distinction is difficult, one can say: “More patients are coming again because of and not just with Corona.”
In addition, there is a very high level of sick leave among employees, which weighs particularly heavily during the holiday season. "With more patients and fewer staff, we're slowly coming back to the limit," said Graf. One of the countermeasures is that employees with a positive corona test are allowed to work again earlier.
"Anyone who is only positive but symptom-free can - taking into account the voluntary nature - work again after five days," Graf explained the new line of Hesse's largest hospital. They would have to wear masks and take breaks separately from others. Graf considers this to be justifiable "because we know that transmissions at the workplace are absolutely rare with our protective measures".
The decision was made after a risk analysis based on a risk assessment, explained Graf. The risk that patients can no longer be cared for should be weighed against the residual risk that the infection will be passed on. This consideration was clearly in favor of the ability to work.
Graf expects the numbers to continue to rise during and after the holidays. It is possible that vacationers from other countries will bring new variants with them, of which one does not know how they will develop. "There is no rule that new mutants are always less pathogenic than the previous ones."
