Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2: COVID-19

Coronaviruses are responsible for the simple colds that we know about but COVID-19 is a viral infection due to the new/novelcorona virus that was identified in China in December 2019. This new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is easily transmitted from person to person and those not exhibiting symptoms can transmit it too, unlike SARS/MERS where transmission appeared to be via those already exhibiting symptoms.

The testing is still limited. But the definitive test is a RT-PCR testing of nasopharyngeal swabs for most patients. The results have a turnaround time of about 6 hours. Point of care tests are likely to be available soon.

A COVID-19 IPC response plan should be embedded in the overall facility IPC policy and plan. In COVID-19, the hierarchy of control measures are:

e practice social distancing- keep at least 2 meters away from other people

e Treat as we would normally do for a case of pneumonia as per EDLIZ guidelines

Conduct usual basic blood tests e.g. FBC, U&E, glucose, LFT Collect blood cultures for bacteria that cause pneumonia and sepsis, ideally before antimicrobial therapy.

e Criteria for discharging patients from isolation (i.e., discontinuing transmission-based precautions) without requiring retesting:

How should the patient behave or what should they do to prevent getting infected again? e Wehave no concrete evidence that those infected with COVID-19 will develop immunity and if so for how long. We will extrapolate that information from other viral infections where immunity develops but if this new corona virus mutates, itis likely that one might get re-infected as happens with e.g. influenza.

e We do not currently have any specific therapies for COVID-19 and any use of medicines is “off-label”.