WHO policy brief: Maintaining infection prevention and control measures for COVID-19 in health care facilities, 14 September 2022 - ISS-G20 Laboratorium Repository

Key points 

• Health care facilities remain a high-risk SARS-CoV-2 transmission setting because they are locations where patients at risk of severe COVID-19 are admitted and cared for.
• Maintaining and improving infection and control (IPC) measures remain critical for patients, staff and visitors.
• Current key infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies and measures for management of COVID-19 in healthcare facilities include:
  • an IPC programme or at least a dedicated and trained IPC focal point
  • screening and triage for early recognition of community- and health care facility-acquired cases and rapid source control measures
  • applying standard and transmission-based precautions
  • patient isolation and cohorting
  • universal masking using medical masks
  • administrative controls
  • implementation of environmental and engineering controls, with emphasis on ventilation
  • COVID-19 vaccination of health workers
  • prevention, identification and management of COVID-19 among health workers.
• Essential actions for Member States to consider in updating COVID-19 policies in infection prevention and control are to maintain IPC achievements and prioritize critical gaps in IPC programmes in health care settings; maintain operational readiness for surges of COVID-19 cases and other emerging and re-emerging pathogens; scale up IPC capacity with strong investments in the implementation of IPC minimum requirements; and ultimately, ensure resilience and sustainability of all IPC core components. 

Entire content available on: https://www.who.int/westernpacific/publications-detail/WHO-2019-nCoV-Policy_Brief-IPC-2022.1