VA employees told to come to work as long as they don't have symptoms, one staffer says

Louisville VA Medical Center staff members have been instructed to keep coming to work if they don't have symptoms of the coronavirus, even if they think they've been exposed, according to a document obtained by The Courier Journal.

A "Frequently Asked Questions" attachment on an email sent to employees included the question, "What should an employee do if they are concerned they have been exposed and have possibly exposed other staff members?"

In red underneath, the answer was, "Staff should self-quarantine if directed by the health department or their primary care physician. Please provide documentation if asked. VA and CDC guidance is for staff to continue working as long as they are not symptomatic. More direction on this process is forthcoming."

One employee, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid putting their job in jeopardy, said a supervisor told employees that the guidance applied even if a person tested positive but had no symptoms.

The unidentified employee told The Courier Journal that staffers are "angry because as we understand many cases are mild or asymptomatic, and we'd be bringing it into a hospital with a large amount of older people who may have COPD and otherwise be immunocompromised."

Precautions have been taken, though.

Employees each day must come in through a separate entrance from the veterans, the employee said, and must show that they don't have coronavirus-like symptoms and haven't traveled to countries that have been overwhelmed by the virus, such as China or Italy.

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VA Medical Center spokeswoman Judy Williams confirmed in an email, "To minimize risk for employees and Veterans, everyone who enters the Robley Rex campus is pre-screened. The screening process may lengthen entry times, so veterans are advised to allow ample time for that when arriving for their appointments."

Williams said the screening process includes questions about symptoms, travel and exposure.

"Per CDC guidance and VA protocols, individuals known to be at risk for a COVID-19 infection, or those who test positive, are immediately quarantined or isolated to prevent potential spread to others," she said.

Williams said veterans and staff are encouraged to stay home if they're sick, call ahead of time if they've been exposed and take precautionary measures such as washing hands frequently and avoid touching their face.

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At peak times, the employee said groups of employees as large as 15 are near one another, the employee said. Normally, that number is around six.

"Everyone's close, but not touching," they said. "We clean our workstations after shifts, so we try our best, but obviously we wouldn't be able to stand up to someone with no symptoms for too long."

The CDC has recommended that no groups of 10 or more people gather.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website instructs that if a person thinks they may have COVID-19, they should stay home and away from public spaces. Gov. Andy Beshear said on Thursday that employers who can should let staffers work from home.

Public health strategists, including Louisville's Dr. Sarah Moyer, have said that practicing social distancing can help slow the virus.

"We aren't disgruntled," the employee said. "We're just scared of infecting vulnerable people and each other."

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Reach breaking news reporter Sarah Ladd at sladd@courier-journal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ladd_sarah. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.