Recommendations to Prevent Spread of Respiratory Viruses from the Community to Settings Where Healthcare is Delivered
What strategies should healthcare settings use to minimize spread of respiratory viruses such as Influenza, RSV and COVID-19 from the community into healthcare facilities?
Any examples are for illustrative purposes only.
Interventions aimed at preventing the spread of respiratory viruses in settings where healthcare is delivered should be implemented in the context of a comprehensive infection prevention program to prevent transmission of all infectious agents among patients, visitors, and healthcare workers. Examples of strategies and interventions to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses in all settings where healthcare is delivered include, but are not limited to:
- Promote and administer recommended vaccines for healthcare workers and patients (e.g., seasonal influenza, COVID-19 primary series and recommended booster doses)
- Take steps to minimize potential exposures within the healthcare setting. For example, before arrival to the healthcare setting, consider exploring alternatives to face-to-face triage and visits, such as the use of telehealth, when clinically appropriate. Triage/screen patients and provide clear instructions on preventive actions to take upon arrival for patients with symptoms of respiratory infection.
- Upon arrival and during the healthcare visit, post visual alerts to provide patients and healthcare workers with instructions about respiratory hygiene, cough etiquette and any requirements for masks as source control (e.g., strategically placed posters, handouts, etc.).
- Ensure supplies (e.g., tissues, masks, hand sanitizer, etc.) to implement respiratory hygiene, cough etiquette, hand hygiene and source control if applicable are available for patients, visitors and healthcare providers at strategic locations (e.g., entrances of facility, waiting rooms, at patient check-in, etc.)
- Follow organizational processes for the management of ill healthcare providers
- Adhere to infection control precautions for all patient-care activities including standard precautions and transmission-based precautions
- Perform environmental cleaning and disinfection
- Consider implementing engineering infection control measures to reduce or eliminate exposures by shielding healthcare workers and other patients from infected individuals (e.g., curtains, solid barriers, etc.)
- Enforce administrative policies that promote and facilitate adherence to the recommendations among the various people within the healthcare setting, including patients, visitors, and healthcare providers
Supplemental measures may need to be implemented if clusters or outbreaks of healthcare-associated respiratory viruses (e.g., influenza, RSV, COVID-19) are identified within your facility. Outbreaks and clusters, including those related to respiratory viruses, may be reportable to local public health. Organizations should refer to state public health reporting requirements.
Local or state department of public health may require healthcare settings to implement additional strategies to prevent transmission of respiratory viruses during periods of increased burden of respiratory viruses in the community. Organizations should have a routine way of identifying added requirements such as enrollment in their local alert system and\or the CDC's Health Alert Network.
Links to the website referenced in this FAQ contain additional information that may be helpful in the development of organizational processes to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses in healthcare settings, however, organizations should ensure they are accessing the most recent publication prior to implementation.
Resources:
CDC Prevention Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare Settings: Guidelines and Recommendations
CDC Influenza
CDC Health Alert Network
Local or state department of public health may require healthcare settings to implement additional strategies to prevent transmission of respiratory viruses during periods of increased burden of respiratory viruses in the community. Organizations should have a routine way of identifying added requirements such as enrollment in their local alert system and\or the CDC's Health Alert Network.
Links to the website referenced in this FAQ contain additional information that may be helpful in the development of organizational processes to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses in healthcare settings, however, organizations should ensure they are accessing the most recent publication prior to implementation.
Resources:
CDC Prevention Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare Settings: Guidelines and Recommendations
CDC Influenza
CDC Health Alert Network
Manual:
Critical Access Hospital
Chapter:
Infection Prevention and Control IC
First published date: February 23, 2023
This Standards FAQ was first published on this date.
This page was last updated on October 08, 2024
with update notes of: Editorial changes only
Types of changes and an explanation of change type:
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