COVID-19 in Healthcare

Table of Contents:

• Intro to Course (5 minutes)
• Intro to Respiratory Viruses and COVID-19 (5 minutes)
• Key Concepts of CDC Recommendations & Recommendation #1 Minimize the Chance of Exposure (10 minutes)
• Recommendation #2 Standard Precautions (Hand Hygiene and PPE) (15 minutes)
• Recommendations #3 #5 Patient Placement, Performing AGPs, and Collection of Diagnostic Specimens (5 minutes)
• Managing Visitor Access and Movement , and Implement Engineering Controls (5 minutes)
• Recommendations #8 #11 Monitor and Manage Healthcare Personnel, Train and Education Healthcare Personnel, Implement Environmental Controls, and Establish Communication with Public Health Authorities (10 minutes)

Course Content Example 1:

COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)

First reported in Wuhan City, China in December of 2019, COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that can potentially lead to death. It is considered the most contagious strain of coronavirus yet, and due to that was declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Symptoms can include: 

• Fever
• Cough/Sore throat
• Shortness of breath
• Headache
• Loss of taste or smell
• and more

80% of patients with COVID-19 experience mild/moderate symptoms, while up to 20% will experience sever issues requiring hospitalization. It is also possible to be asymptomatic and show no signs of illness. The known percentage of asymptomatic carriers is limited at this time due to testing constraints. Similarly, it can take between 2 to 14 days, with an average of 5 days, for patients to start showing symptoms. The death rate is currently being reported between 2 to 4%, which makes it 10x deadlier than influenza

Currently there is no medical cure for COVID-19

Course Content Example 2:

PPE to Use with COVID-19

Recommended PPE to use with COVID-19 patients include:

Respirator/facemask - Cloth face coverings are NOT PPE and should not be worn for the care of patients with known or suspected COVID-19. N95 or higher respirators or facemask should be worn before entering a room with a suspected COVID-19 patient, unless masks are already being worn to optimize PPE supply

• N95 masks should be used when performing or present for an aerosol generating procedure

Eye Protection - put on eye protection (goggles, face shield) upon entering a COVID-19 care area if not already on. Remove eye protection before leaving patient room. If using reusable eye protection, it should be disinfected based on the manufacture's reprocessing instructions before next use

Gloves - put on gloves before entering room. Change gloves immediately if they become torn or heavily contaminated. Remove and discard gloves upon leaving the patients room and immediately before performing hand hygiene

Gown - Put on a clean isolation gown upon entry into a patient room or area. Change the gown if it becomes soiled. Remove and discard into dedicated containers for waste or linen. Disposable gowns should be disposed of properly and cloth gowns should be laundered appropriately

Course Content Example 3:

Implement Engineering Controls

Facilities should design and implement engineering controls to lower or eliminate exposure of COVID-19 to HCP and other patients

Engineering controls revolve around isolating employees from possible work-related hazards. In appropriate workplaces, these types of controls reduce the exposure without needing workers to change their behavior. It is often the most cost-effective solution

Examples include:

• Physical barriers or partitions to help guide patients through triage areas
• Curtains between patients in shared areas
• Air-handling systems that are installed and functioning properly