COVID-19: Hospital Preparedness and Planning

General Measures

• Exercise general infection precautions
• Person-to-person transmission occurs with close contact (6 feet)
• Direct Transmission: contact with mucous membranes or respiratory droplets
• Indirect Transmission: cough —> secretions left on surface —> 2nd person touches surface secretions and touches face & mucous membranes
• Hygiene General Recommendations
  • Avoid touching your face
  • Frequent Proper handwashing technique
  • Alcohol based hand sanitizer
  • Diligent hand wasing
  • 20 seconds minimum
  • Image shows commonly forgotten areas: thumb (ulnar aspect), fingertips, WRIST (Borrowed from WHO Hand Hygiene for Healthcare)
  • Wear a mask if you develop respiratory symptoms (fever, cough, rhinorrhea, congestion) to prevent spread
  • Avoid unnecessary travel
  • Stay home if symptomatic
  • Home care does not mean being out in the parks with other groups of people
  • Contact your supervisor: due to expected HCW shortages, minor symptoms may be allowed to continue working with adequate PPE to prevent infection spread

Contact with Patients at Risk/Persons Under Investigation

Recommended PPE

Contact and droplet precautions including eye protection

• Droplet = surgical mask, eye protection
• Contact = gown and gloves
  • If gowns in short supply, consider reserving for PUIs and/or aerosol-generating procedures
• Negative pressure room preferred may be prefered for PUIs, but not required

See video below indicates the proper order for donning and doffing PPE for clinical evaluation of a patient

Patients and Procedures Included in this Category

• General care of PUI patients
• Collection of nasopharyngeal swab specimens