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Home : Standards of Practice : Covid-19 : Covid-19 Guidelines
New IDPH Covid-19 Guidance posted on 11/3/22

WHO Weekly update for the week of 8/31/21 - Mu Variant  

Monkeypox information for healthcare providers

August CDC Update posted on 8/15/22

Covid-19 Executive Order #88
from Gov. JB Pritzker on 9/5/21 (Mandates)

July 30, 2021 CDC Update:

Covid-19 news continues to flood our inboxes and news feeds and sifting through it all can be time consuming and confusing.

Attached is today’s update from the CDC.

 

A few things are clear: 

·         Nationally (and internationally) we have escalating cases of COVID-19 again – mostly the Delta Variant in our country – and mostly in unvaccinated individuals. The daily average of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases has quadrupled in July, rising from around 13,000 per day at the beginning of the month to 43,243 per day at the month’s close. According to the CDC, the delta variant now accounts for more than 83% of Covid-19 cases in the United States.

·         "The delta variant is more aggressive and much more transmissible than previously circulating strains. It is one of the most infectious respiratory viruses we know" (CDC Director Rochelle Walensky). According to Anthony Fauci, the surge in cases is occurring primarily among those not yet been vaccinated against Covid-19. "If you look at the inflection of the curve of new cases … [the growth] is among the unvaccinated. And since we have 50% of the country [who are] not fully vaccinated, that's a problem."

·         It appears that breakthrough infections (mostly Delta variant) are rising in those who are fully vaccinated and vaccine protection may wane slightly after six month - but accurate data models are still in evolution – giving rise to speculation that a Covid-19 booster may be needed.  NOT required yet, but stay tuned

·         When people are infected with Delta, they carry approximately 1000 times more virus compared with previous versions of the virus. The virus can overwhelm even the strong protection from the vaccines. The vast majority of illnesses in vaccinated individuals are mild, and are to be expected. The vaccines were designed to keep us out of the hospital and to keep us from dying. As good as they are, their protection differs from person to person depending on age and underlying health. People with immune function that's weakened because of age or a health condition can still become seriously ill, and, in very rare cases, die after vaccination.

·         Thus prevention and mitigation strategies are STILL REQUIRED.

·         Much of the country is considered areas of high risk – not in our specific area of Illinois (yet), but the southern part of the  state is hot on the heat map.

 

"Anyone who thinks the pandemic is over because it's over where they live is living in a fool's paradise." - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization

 

ACTIONS NOW:

·         No matter what the requirements are for the lay public  healthcare workers are expected to stay masked when caring for patients and at all times within hospitalswith rare exceptions.

·         Hospitals are reporting that some EMS personnel are coming in without masks and are taking them off in the chart rooms or when walking through the ED.  

·         We urgently want to keep our providers and patients as safe as possible.

·         Please enforce that MASKS ARE MANDATORY while caring for patients and while in hospital patient care areas and in public spaces until we provide notice of a change in policy.

 

COVID-19 vaccination

 

FYI: We will be publishing guidelines with respect to COVID-19 vaccination requirements for the incoming EMT and paramedic students very shortly based on rapidly developing trends and legal decisions supporting hospital and secondary education institution mandatory vaccination policies.

 

“The evidence is clear: COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in reducing both the risk of becoming infected and spreading the virus to others,” (Rick Pollack, AHA president and CEO). “The AHA supports hospitals and health systems that choose, based on local factors, to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for their workforce. Doing so will help protect the health and well-being of health care personnel and the patients and communities they proudly serve.”

 

The American Medical Association, American Nurses Association and more than 50 fellow organizations of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals have called for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination of their colleagues. The American Hospital Association and four other hospital organizations issued a statement "strongly urging" vaccination of all healthcare personnel, in order "to protect themselves, their patients and peers."  Legal counsel for the American Hospital Association has advised that hospitals can legally require vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccine even though, as of this date, the vaccines have received approval from the FDA through the Emergency Use Authorization process.

 

As always, please contact Dr. Jordan or myself if you have any questions at all about the System’s policies, positions, or recommendation about anything to do with the ongoing pandemic and/or vaccinations.


John Hopkins University Interactive Pandemic Map
  (Live)

COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Guidance for Providers 

IDPH Covid-19 Vaccination Provider Agreement
 

I-CARE Decision Tree posted 0n 1 14 21


Covid-19 Guidelines Appendix Cassets/1/infection_control_reference_materials/C_NWC_EMSS_COVID-19_SOP_7-1-20.pdf  7/1/20


EMS Playbook Covid-19 guidelines issued on July 3rd


DICO List for Infection Control (policy I2a) rev 01/26/2024

Temporary PCR during a decalered emergency (Covid-19) issued 5/24
--- COVID-19 SYSTEM MEMOS ARE LISTED BELOW --

Covid-19 Update System Memo # 392 Covid-19 Briefing for 4/20/20
Non-Transport Form During Pandemic rev 4/20/20
Non-Transport Form During Pandemic in Spanish rev 4/20/20


Covid-19 Update System Memo # 391 Covid-19 Briefing for 4/16/20

Covid-19 Update System Memo # 390 Covid-19 Briefing for 4/15/20

Covid-19 Update System Memo # 389  3/31/20

System Memo # 388  Non-Transport during the pandemic  3/30  Forms updated 4/20/20

Covid-19 Update System Memo # 387  3/27/20

---  OTHER COVID-19 GUIDANCE ---


IDPH Guidance on the Use and Care of Non-medical Public Use Masks 4/20/20

IDPH Clarifies information on the KN95 Masks 4/17/20

IDPH Guidance regarding Fatality Management 
4/18/20


EPA Approved Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 4/16/20

Effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy in severe COVID-19 patients 4/16/209

Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Healthcare Settings 4/16/20

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Serological Tests 4/16/20

COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers 4/16/20

IDPH INSTRUCTIONS For Tested Healthcare Workers & First Responders 4/16/20

RELEASING COVID-19 CASES AND CONTACTS FROM ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE 4/16/20

CDC Guidance for Return to Work after Confirmed, or Suspected Covid-19  4/15/20
Interim Guidance for HCW Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 4/15/20
IDPH Authority for System Amendments for Providers  4/15/20
PWW Guidance on the Collection of Signatures 4/15/20
IDPH Guidance on the Public's Use of Masks 4/15/20

Governor signs Executive Order providing immunity for healthcare providers 4/1/20

Facemask Optimization Guidance Posted 4/2/20
Gown Optimization Guidance Posted 4/2/20
Use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when caring for suspected Covid-19 patients 4/2/20
Sequence for putting on, and removing, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 4/2/20
This CDC video demonstrates the proper procedure for donning and doffing PPE 4/2/20

IDPH Covid-19 Guidance on 4/7/20
IDPH Covid-19 Webinar Slides 4/1/20
IDPH Guidance to Law Enforcement regarding positive notifications  Posted 4/2/20
Recommended guidance for Pregnant Women and newborns 3/31/20
IDPH Guidance - requesting PPE  3/30/20
Covid-19 Update 3/26/20
Covid-19 Guidelines - Updated 3/24/20

 
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