COVID-19 is more highly infectious and causes higher rates of illness and death than influenza and many other respiratory pathogens, and few treatment strategies exist to mitigate these. The virus is widespread in communities, and thus might reenter a healthcare facility at any time. There remains considerable uncertainty about transmission, immunity and the effects of mutations. For all these reasons, it has been necessary to supplement standard ICP precautions while COVID-19 is circulating in the community, including:

 

• Reducing COVID-19 transmission in both communities and in healthcare settings

  • Physical distancing

  • Restricting social and business contacts, travel, and other population mixing

  • Face covers

  • Hand and surface hygiene

  • Encouraging testing for people with COVID-19 exposures and symptoms

  • Isolation of cases and quarantine of contacts

  • Vaccination

• Protect the healthcare perimeter to reduce entry of COVID-19

  • Minimize traffic (telehealth, care prioritization, telework, visitor restrictions)

  • Access control and screening for symptoms or exposure

  • Isolation of symptomatic and exposed persons

• Reducing transmission inside institutions

  • Individual hygiene behaviors

  • Cohorting patients and staff (reducing numbers of contacts)

  • Enhanced PPE practices

  • Air-handling and environmental cleaning

  • Prompt investigation of cases and isolation and quarantine

 

In addition to these practices implemented across all hospital operations, there are additional special practices employed for those believed to have COVID-19 infection here.

Special Pathogens Network now offering on-site training: a federally recognized collective of hospitals, public health entities, and first-responder organizations from across Colorado with special knowledge and expertise in highly infectious diseases.   Now providing on-site training in infection prevention and control.   The Special Pathogens Network (thespn.org) 

Project Firstline (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment): Project Firstline aims to prepare frontline health care professionals – from clinicians to environmental service workers – and the public health workforce to protect themselves, their patients and their communities from infectious disease threats, such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19).  Project Firstline will begin with short, no-cost, web-based, intensive modules focused on foundational concepts of infection prevention and control and grounded in behavior change principles and practices. This training will ensure every worker in every setting is empowered with the science and reasoning behind essential IPC practices, and can confidently apply those practices to protect themselves, their facility, their family, and their community.

Reducing transmission among the general population

Protect the Perimeter

Controlling Transmission Within the Facility