Impact of healthcare worker shift scheduling on workforce preservation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Dan M Kluger; Yariv Aizenbud; Ariel Jaffe; Lilach Aizenbud; Fabio Parisi; Eyal Minsky-Fenick; Jonathan M Kluger; Shelli Farhadian; Harriet M Kluger; Yuval Kluger

This stage of the simulation for the work day involves a random process for releasing and admitting new patients. After the daily transmissions are simulated, some patients will randomly leave and some new patients will be hospitalized. In particular, at the end of each day, each patient leaves with probability new patients are hospitalized at the end of each day. This method of randomly accepting and discharging patients, gives us the desired average patient stay (an input parameter for our model.) The method also gives us a consistent average number of patients present equal to the initial number of patients (also an input parameter for the model.) Finally, we assume that patients who have exhibited COVID-19 symptoms for at least 24 hours are identified, isolated, and no longer seen by physicians and nurses on the team in person.