ECDC, high virus circulation, strengthen preventive measures
“The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recommends that healthcare facilities maintain and strengthen infection prevention and control measures, due to high community transmission and simultaneous circulation of respiratory viruses such as SarsCoV2, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and others”. This is the indication that comes from the report ‘Considerations for infection prevention and control practices for respiratory viral infections in healthcare settings’ published today by the ECDC. At the moment, the situation is particularly delicate: “The simultaneous circulation of several viruses represents a significant challenge for the management of a large number of patients with respiratory viral infections”, it reads. For this reason, the European agency calls for the strengthening of preventive measures in all health areas. In outpatient care and in the relationship with the family doctor, patients are invited to contact the health professionals before a possible visit and report the presence of respiratory symptoms. For doctors, on the other hand, “dedicated home visiting services for vulnerable patients should be considered if feasible to avoid overcrowding in outpatient and emergency services”. Precautions also in a hospital environment, starting from the use of swabs for all patients entering, preferring diagnostic solutions that are also able to identify the type of pathogen responsible for the infection, up to the allocation of patients to avoid the transmission of infections in frail patients, as well as in the rigorous adoption of personal protective equipment for health personnel (gloves, masks and for prolonged contact, even glasses). Finally, pay attention to ventilation and disinfection.
