Establishment of plans to address local PPE shortages, including county and state coordination of supply chains and stockpile releases to meet needs.Staff training on infection control and PPE use.Social distancing, including restricting resident movement and group activities.Active screening of health care workers, including measurement and documentation of body temperature and ascertainment of respiratory symptoms to identify and exclude symptomatic workers.Implementation of symptom screening and restriction policies for visitors and nonessential personnel.Delayed recognition of cases because of low index of suspicion, limited testing availability, and difficulty identifying persons with COVID-19 based on signs and symptoms alone.Īfter the outbreak, local and state authorities in Washington instituted prevention measures for long-term care facilities that include:.Inadequate familiarity and adherence to standard, droplet and contact precautions and eye protection recommendations 2.Staff members worked in more than one facility.Staff members worked while experiencing symptoms of the disease.The CDC identified the following factors as likely contributing to the outbreak: As of March 18, 101 residents, 50 health care workers, and 16 visitors were confirmed to have COVID-19 34 residents died. The outbreak occurred in King County, Washington, where thirty long-term skilled nursing and assisted living facilities reported one or more confirmed COVID-19 cases from February 27 to March 18, 2020. COVID-19 can spread rapidly in long-term residential care facilities, as illustrated in a recent outbreak in the State of Washington, detailed in a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and another published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The vulnerability of these facilities also puts their employees at risk. Residents of skilled nursing and long-term care facilities are at very high risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19 due to the congregate nature of the facilities and the characteristics of their resident population, which often includes older adults or others with underlying chronic medical conditions. Skilled Nursing/Long-Term Care Facilities and COVID-19 The virus is spread from person-to-person, likely through close contact, and small and large respiratory droplets and possibly particles that may strike the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth, or may be breathed into the nose or mouth. The time from exposure to symptom onset ranges from two to 14 days. In reported cases, the severity of the illness ranges from mild symptoms to death.
Virus Signs, Symptoms and TransmissionĬommon signs and symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and difficulty breathing. Employers and employees should review their own health and safety procedures as well as the recommendations and standards detailed below, to ensure workers are protected from COVID-19. This interim guidance provides employers and workers in skilled nursing and long-term care facilities with vital information for preventing exposure to the virus.
BackgroundĬal/OSHA’s regulations require protection for workers exposed to airborne infectious diseases such as COVID-19, first identified in December 2019. NOTE: This document refers to requirements for respirators, respiratory protection programs and airborne infection isolation rooms.
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