The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated its “Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic” on September 23, 2022.
Per the CDC webpage, the following updates were made in this revision:
- Updated to note that vaccination status is no longer used to inform source control, screening testing, or post-exposure recommendations
- Updated circumstances when use of source control is recommended
- Updated circumstances when universal use of personal protective equipment should be considered
- Updated recommendations for testing frequency to detect potential for variants with shorter incubation periods and to address the risk for false negative antigen tests in people without symptoms.
- Clarified that screening testing of asymptomatic healthcare personnel, including those in nursing homes, is at the discretion of the healthcare facility
- Updated to note that, in general, asymptomatic patients no longer require empiric use of Transmission-Based Precautions following close contact with someone with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Archived the Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Spread in Nursing Homes and special considerations for nursing homes not otherwise covered in Sections 1 and 2 were added to Section 3: Setting-specific considerations
- Updated screening testing recommendations for nursing home admissions
- Clarified the types of long-term care settings for whom the healthcare infection prevention and control recommendations apply
For full details, visit the updated CDC webpage here.
In case you missed it, the CDC also updated its “Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2” on September 23, 2022 as well. An overview of the updates is available on the CMSCG Blog and you can view the full updated recommendation the CDC website here.