To Owners Of ALL Health Care Facilities
“Sixteen days after introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into facility A, facility-wide testing identified a 30.3% prevalence of infection among residents, indicating very rapid spread, despite early adoption of infection prevention and control measures. Approximately half of all residents with positive test results did not have any symptoms at the time of testing, suggesting that transmission from asymptomatic and presymptomatic residents, who were not recognized as having SARS-CoV-2 infection and therefore not isolated, might have contributed to further spread.”
“The findings in this report are subject to at least two limitations. First, accurate symptom ascertainment in persons with cognitive impairment and other disabilities is challenging; however, this limitation is estimated to be representative of symptom data collected in most SNFs, and thus, these findings might be generalizable. Second, because this analysis was conducted among residents of an SNF, it is not known whether findings apply to the general population, including younger persons, those without underlying medical conditions, or similarly aged populations in the general community.”
“During the current COVID-19 pandemic, SNFs and all long-term care facilities should take proactive steps to prevent introduction of SARS-CoV-2, including restricting visitors except in compassionate care situations, restricting nonessential personnel from entering the building, asking staff members to monitor themselves for fever and other symptoms, screening all staff members at the beginning of their shift for fever and other symptoms, and supporting staff member sick leave, including for those with mild symptoms. Once a facility has a case of COVID-19, broad strategies should be implemented to prevent transmission, including restriction of resident-to-resident interactions, universal use of facemasks for all health care personnel while in the facility, and if possible, use of CDC-recommended PPE for the care of all residents (i.e., gown, gloves, eye protection, N95 respirator, or, if not available, a face mask). In settings where PPE supplies are limited, strategies for extended PPE use and limited reuse should be employed.”
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hcwcontrols/recommendedguidanceextuse.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/index.html
“In addition, health care personnel in all types of long-term care facilities might have limited experience with proper use of PPE.”
Instructions for use will be a critical component.
Be safe everyone!
