COVID-19 Guidance for Healthcare Providers Arkansas Department of Health

COVID-19 Guidance for Healthcare Providers

We here at ADH want to keep you informed regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Specifically, we want to inform you about considerations for health care professionals.

Health care professionals have an increased risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19. Care providers can minimize risk of exposure when caring for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients by following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) guidance, which may be found here.

Resources:

HAN: CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory 449 - Rapid Increase in Ivermectin Prescriptions and Reports of Severe Illness Associated with Use of Products Containing Ivermectin to Prevent or Treat COVID-19
HAN: Off Label Vaccine
HAN: Additional mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine dose after initial 2-dose primary mRNA vaccine series for Immunocompromised People
Guidelines for Discontinuation of Isolation Precautions in Patients with COVID-19 Infection
- For Hospitalized Patients
- For Patients in Home Isolation
Waivers Related to Federal Standards for Medicare Certified Health Care Providers
Length of quarantine guidelines

For Health Care Providers Only

For Healthcare Providers who want to speak with an Arkansas Department of Health physician about testing at ADH or who have other COVID-19 questions, call1-844-930-3023.

Evaluating Persons Under Investigation (PUIs)

Depending on travel history, or exposure to people with confirmed COVID-19 some individuals may be placed under home quarantine by the ADH.

Health care professionals with patients experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should use COVID-19 testing that is now available through commercial laboratories, such as LabCorp or Quest.

Please only call the ADH Outbreak Response section at 1-800-803-7847 if you have any questions or want to consult with ADH regarding testing for high risk patients, such as close contacts confirmed positive patients.

Recommendations for Reporting, Testing, and Specimen Collection

Immediately implement recommended infection prevention and control practices, such as placing a surgical mask on the patient.
Notify infection control personnel at your facility.
For initial diagnostic testing, follow the directions provided by your commercial lab.
For testing high risk patients under consultation from ADH Outbreak Response staff, collect a nasopharyngeal swab. If a nasopharyngeal swab is not possible, these are acceptable alternatives: oropharyngeal (OP) specimen collected by a healthcare professional; a nasal mid-turbinate (NMT) or deep nasal swab collected by a healthcare professional; or an anterior nares (nasal swab; NS) specimen collected by a health care professional or by onsite self-collection. Click here for more details. Submit specimen to ADH accompanied by a completed PUI form.
ADH staff including local health units do not do specimen collection for patients. This is the responsibility of the clinic or hospital to request the test.

Resources:

For more information on reporting click here.

Caring for Confirmed or Possible COVID-19 Patients

How COVID-19 Spreads

Based on what is currently known, COVID-19 spreads mostly from person-to-person via respiratory droplets among close contacts.

How to Protect Yourself

Adhere to CDC recommendations for infection prevention and control (IPC):

Assess and triage patients with acute respiratory symptoms and risk factors for COVID-19, including placing a facemask on the patient and using an Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR), if available.
Use standard precautions, contact precautions, and airborne precautions and eye protection.
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. Use soap and water if hands are visibly soiled.
Learn more about proper use of PPE to prevent self-contamination.
- PPE Prioritization
- Guidance for Healthcare Workers using their own PPE
Perform aerosol-generating procedures, including a collection of diagnostic respiratory specimens, in an AIIR, while following appropriate IPC practices, including use of appropriate PPE.

Resources:

Extended Use and Limited Reuse of Disposable Facemasks, Respirators, and Protective Eyewear

CDC Guidance

CDC has a webpage with additional guidelines on COVID-19 for health care professionals. CDC provides information on:

Evaluating and Reporting PUI
Infection Control
Clinical Care
Strategize for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators
HCPs with Potential Exposure to COVID-19
Preparedness Resources
Implementing Home Care
Supply of PPE
FAQs

Global case numbers are reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in their coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation report. For U.S. information, visit CDC’s COVID-19 in the U.S. This following location list is found here.

FDA Guidance

FDA has a hotline (1-888-INFO-FDA) available 24 hours a day for labs to call regarding difficulties obtaining supplies for collecting patient samples for COVID-19 testing, including swabs, media needed for transport, and conservation of the samples. Labs can reach out at CDRH-EUA-Templates@fda.hhs.gov with any questions related to diagnostic development.

Resources