The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shortened the COVID isolation period for health care workers who have been infected with COVID amid the rising Omicron variant concerns.

The CDC suggested that health care workers who are asymptomatic return to work after seven days and a negative test, saying that isolation time can be cut further if there are staffing issues, according to The New York Times report.

In addition, health care workers who had received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters, will not need to quarantine at home after high-risk exposures.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement that the agency is updating their recommendations based on what they know about infection and exposure with the vaccination and booster in mind. Walensky added that their goal is to keep health care workers and patients safe, as well as address the undue burden in the health care facilities, according to an Associated Press News report.

However, the new recommendations do not cover the public, with CDC still setting a 14-day isolation period for infected Americans. The agency is now examining the 14-day isolation period as more research confirmed that a typical patient would be infectious for a shorter amount of time.

Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, said that a shorter COVID isolation period for the public would make sense, especially for those who are vaccinated.

The change in the CDC guidance was announced days after chief White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said the U.S. was considering shortening the 10-day quarantine period for asymptomatic health care workers.

Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, noted that the agency is consistently behind in updating recommendations needed now, especially with the sudden surge in cases.

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U.S. Health Care Workforce Amid Omicron Variant

Omicron has become the dominant variant in the United States in a matter of weeks, accounting for 73 percent of sequenced cases, which is six times higher than last week.

Officials and experts cautioned about a wave of patients and possible staffing shortages, according to The Guardian report.

Marcus Plescia, the chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said that Omicron is a highly contagious variant and could cause significant issues with the workforce. Plescia added that Omicron is "spreading like wildfire" and hitting hospitals.

Meanwhile, the American Nurses Association is calling U.S. officials to declare the nursing shortage a national crisis.

In April, 55 percent of front-line health workers reported feeling burned out, with them frequently experiencing harassment and frustration at work.

Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, noted that the Omicron variant is significantly impacting the workforce.

Benjamin said that hospital administrators may need to tap retired workers, even for a short period.

Dani Bowie, vice president of nursing workforce development, said that Ohio-based Bon Secours Mercy Health introduced a new scheduling system during the pandemic so workers could book extra shifts in advance and have more certainty over their schedules, according to a CNBC report.

Betty Jo Rocchio, a chief nursing officer at Mercy, noted that everybody is mentally, physically, and emotionally tired from dealing with the effects of COVID.

To address the issue, Rocchio said Mercy offers an employee assistance program with mental wellness built into it.

READ MORE: Dr. Anthony Fauci Says COVID Variant Omicron Might Evade Protections Gained by Vaccination, Previous Infection  

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Written by Mary Webber

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