General Health Care Practitioner (HCP) Questions
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Frequently Asked Inpatient Questions Microchapter |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
General Health Care Practitioner (HCP) questions
I have underlying health conditions, are there work restrictions in place for me?
Is post-exposure prophylaxis currently available, and when can it be used?
Can routine vaccinations still be administered to patients?
Should I use face mask/respirator while taking care of pregnant patients with known/suspected COVID-19 infection?
When available, respirators (or facemasks if a respirator is not available), eye protection, gloves, and gowns should be used for the care of pregnant patients with known or suspected COVID-19 infection.
I am a Health Care Practitioner living with someone who is at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 infection. What precautions should I take?
There are no additional precautions for the Health Care Practitioner. Some Health Care practitioners may choose to implement extra measures when arriving home from providing healthcare, such as removing any clothing worn during the delivery of healthcare, taking off shoes, washing clothing, and immediately showering. However, these are optional personal practices because there is insufficient evidence on whether they are effective. People at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 should take the general precautions recommended for them which include washing hands often, taking everyday precautions to keep space between them and others (stay 6 feet away, which is about two arm lengths), staying away from people who are sick, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched services.
I am pregnant and a health care worker. Can I work with patients who are potentially infected with COVID-19?
Information on COVID-19 in pregnancy is limited. Pregnant women are not currently considered at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. However, pregnant women have had a higher risk of severe illness when infected with viruses from the same family as COVID-19 and other viral respiratory infections, such as influenza.
Are there work restrictions recommended for HCP with underlying health conditions who may care for COVID-19 patients?
- Adherence to recommended infection prevention and control practices is an important part of protecting HCP and patients in healthcare settings. All HCP who care for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients should adhere to the standard and transmission-based precautions.
- To the extent feasible, healthcare facilities could consider prioritizing HCP who are not at higher risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19 or who are not pregnant to care for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients.
- If staffing shortages make this challenging, facilities could consider restricting HCP at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 or who are pregnant from being present for higher-risk procedures (e.g., aerosol-generating procedures) on COVID-19 patients.
- HCP who are concerned about their individual risk for severe illness from COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions while caring for COVID-19 patients can discuss their concerns with their supervisor or occupational health services.
- People 65 years and older and people of all ages with serious underlying health conditions — like serious heart conditions, chronic lung disease, and diabetes — seem to be at higher risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19.
Whom should healthcare providers notify if they suspect a patient has COVID-19?
Healthcare providers should immediately notify infection control personnel at their facility if they suspect COVID-19 in a patient. If a patient tests positive, providers should report positive results to their local/state health department.