Health What healthcare personnel should know about caring for patients with confirmed or possible coronavirus disease 2019 Poster

CS 315495-A     03/12/2020	
For more information: 	www.cdc.gov/COVID19	
Healthcare personnel (HCP) are on the front lines of caring for patients with confirmed or possible 
infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and therefore have an increased risk of exposure 
to this virus. HCPs can minimize their risk of exposure when caring for confirmed or possible COVID-19 
patients by following	 Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with 	
Confirmed (COVID-19) or Persons Under Investigation for COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings	.	
What healthcare personnel should know about caring for patients 
with confirmed or possible coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
How COVID-19 Spreads 
There is much to learn about the newly emerged COVID-19, 
including how and how easily it spreads. Based on what is 
currently known about COVID-19 and what is known about 
other coronaviruses, spread is thought to occur mostly from 
person-to-person via respiratory droplets among close contacts.
Close contact can occur while caring for a patient, including:
• being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters) of a patient with 
COVID-19 for a prolonged period of time.
• having direct contact with infectious secretions from a patient 
with COVID-19. Infectious secretions may include sputum, 
serum, blood, and respiratory droplets.
If close contact occurs while not wearing all recommended 
personal protective equipment personal protective equipment 
(PPE), healthcare personnel may be at risk of infection.
How You Can Protect Yourself 
Healthcare personnel caring for patients with confrmed or 
possible COVID-19 should adhere to CDC recommendations for 
infection prevention and control (IPC)	:	
• Assess and triage these patients with acute respiratory symp	-	
toms and risk factors for COVID-19 to minimize chances of 
exposure, including placing a facemask on the patient and 
placing them in an examination room with the door closed in 
an Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR), if available.
• Use 	Standard Precautions	 , Contact Precautions, and Airborne 	
Precautions	 and eye protection when caring for patients with 	
confirmed or possible COVID-19.
• Perform hand hygiene with alcohol-based hand rub before and 
after all patient contact, contact with potentially infectious 
material, and before putting on and upon removal of PPE, 	 	
including gloves. Use soap and water if hands are 	 	
visibly soiled.
• Practice how to properly 	don, use, and doff PPE	 in a manner to 	
prevent self-contamination.
• Perform aerosol-generating procedures, in an AIIR, while	 	
 following appropriate 	IPC	 practices, including use of 	 	
appropriate PPE	. 	
Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection 
Routine cleaning and disinfection procedures are appropriate for 
SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare settings, including those patient-care 
areas in which aerosol-generating procedures are performed. 
Products with  	EPA-approved	 emerging viral pathogens claims 	
are recommended for use against SARS-CoV-2. Management of 
laundry, food service utensils, and medical waste should also be 
performed in accordance with routine procedures. 
When to Contact Occupational Health Services
If you have an unprotected exposure (i.e., not wearing 
recommended PPE) to a confirmed or possible COVID-19 
patient, contact your supervisor or occupational health 
immediately.
If you develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (fever, 
cough, or difficulty breathing), do not report to work. Contact 
your occupational health services.
For more information for healthcare personnel, visit: 	 	
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/index.html