The fact of the matter is that today, stuff-selling mega-corporations have a huge influence on our daily lives. And because of the competitive nature of our global economy, these corporations are generally only concerned with one thing – the bottom line. That is, maximising profit, regardless of the social or environmental costs.
David Suzuki
Just before the holidays, the CDC released a statement regarding healthcare workers who test positive for COVID-19. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky stated that healthcare workers who test positive for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic can return to work after five days in isolation, provided they test negative. This is a surprising change from the original recommendation of 10 days in isolation.
In addition, the CDC said the quarantine time can be cut further if there are staffing shortages due to COVID-19, adding that healthcare workers who have been fully vaccinated, including a booster, do not need to quarantine at home following high-risk exposures.
Curious about why? Maybe the fact that corporations are panicked about staffing shortages created by the exponential rise in Omicron cases (Omicron now accounts for 73% of coronavirus infections in the United States). Its not a coincidence that Dr. Walnesky made her announcement shortly after Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian asked the CDC to cut in half the 10-day recommended quarantine time for vaccinated individuals who get Covid-19. This plea was not doubt fueled by the cancellation of thousands of flights over the holidays due to crews calling in sick and bad weather.
Flight Attendant Union President Sarah Nelson slammed the decision in a statement, “We said we wanted to hear from medical professionals on the best guidance for quarantine, not from corporate America advocating for a shortened period due to staffing shortages. We cannot allow pandemic fatigue to lead to decisions that extend the life of the pandemic or put policies on the backs of workers.”
National Nurses United also called out the CDC on this position. Calling it a dangerous position that can weaken isolation guidance for employers. The organization demanded that the CDC maintain the 10-day isolation recommendation. Triunfo-Cortez, president of National Nurses United, stated in an interview that “Weakening COVID-19 guidance now, in the face of what could be the most devastating COVID-19 surge yet, will only result in further transmission, illness, and death.”
Health care workers are already stretched to the limit and may face a tidal wave of Omicron infections in the coming weeks. As Covid-19 cases explode fueled by the fast-moving Omicron variant, hospitals are getting crushed across the nation. A day after reporting its highest average daily Covid-19 case number, the US shattered the record on December 30th with an average of 355,990 infections reported every day in the past week (according to Johns Hopkins University).
“It’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen, even at the peak of the prior surges of Covid,” stated Dr. James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University Hospital, on Wednesday. “What we’re experiencing right now is an absolute overwhelming of the emergency departments” in Washington.
New Mexico reported more than 2,000 new cases on Thursday. The spike, just ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations, pushed the state’s total caseload to more than 350,000 since the pandemic started. Positive tests have risen 13.8%, and hospitalizations have topped over 11%.
Bit not everyone is buying the new 5-day recommendation. Yesterday, the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services said it won’t adopt the shorter federal COVID-19 guidelines until it reviews “the supporting evidence … while awaiting additional information, … specifically for special populations and in high-risk settings.”
Many medical professionals, virologists, and epidemiologists are condemning the decision. The CDC has downplayed the prevalence of the COVID-19 omicron variant, but calling it “mild” should not give us a false sense of security. Virologists say that omicron is still a potent force and needs to be taken seriously, and disease experts say it’s only a matter of time before the new variant explodes. Dr. David Wohl, professor of infectious diseases at UNC, said that “It will be 73 percent, and then 79 percent, then 90 percent, and probably 100 percent.” Dr. Wohl believes omicron will overtake Delta and other variants.
The CDC has let us down, again. Long considered the world’s premier public health agency, it fell short in its first response to the pandemic, making early missteps in testing and failing to provide timely counts of infections and deaths. When COVID-19 first hit our shores, CDC communications were at times confusing, sowed distrust, and contradicted White House communications under the “former guy” who downplayed its virulence and severity.
Trust in the CDC was already eroded, and now with its corporate-backed recommendation in cutting isolation time in half will only create more distrust and skepticism. The CDC is not living up to its name, and it’s clear that they have prioritized the concerns of corporate America above those of American citizens.