LA County Department of Public Health

Health Professionals
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Precautions for patient interview and exam Page Updated 3-14-2020

The patient should be in a private room with the door closed and should continue to wear the surgical mask through all healthcare worker encounters. Healthcare providers should wear a surgical mask, gloves, and eye protection for the history and basic exam. A gown is recommended, but if in short supply, should be prioritized for procedures that generate respiratory aerosols.

Precautions for Specimen Collection

Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal sampling: these procedures should be conducted wearing gloves, eye protection, and either a surgical mask or N95 respirator. A gown is recommended, but if in short supply, should be prioritized for procedures that generate respiratory aerosols.
High risk aerosol generating procedures: e.g. sputum induction or bronchoscopy require a higher level of PPE- gowning, gloving, N95 respirator and eye protection.

PPE poster available in English and Spanish
Note: Providers should be able to obtain an NP and OP swab specimen for COVID-19 diagnostic testing in an ambulatory setting. Providers should observe standard, contact, and droplet precautions. Do not send otherwise clinically stable patients are to a hospital emergency department for the sole purpose of specimen collection.

Patient Isolation

Patients or suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be cared for in single rooms with the door closed.
Airborne isolation rooms (AIIRs) should be reserved for patients undergoing procedures that are likely to generate respiratory aerosols

Infection Prevention Guidance

Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Healthcare Settings. Revised 3-19-20.

Assuring PPE Supplies

Whether your facility currently has adequate PPE supplies or is already confronting PPE supply constraints, LAC DPH asks all facilities to review and immediately implement the CDC contingency capacity strategies. This will help preserve PPE supplies and ensure that patients and staff are familiar with the contingency preservation strategies for when the PPE supplies are constrained county-wide.

Strategies to Optimize the Supply of PPE - see CDC website
Contingency Capacity Strategies by PPE type: Eye protection, isolation gowns, facemasks, N95 respirators

Guidance for facilities with limited supplies of N95 respirators, LAC DPH (3-4-20) English Spanish

MHOAC and Emergency Supplies statement 3-24-20
The LA County Medical and Health Operational Area Coordination (MHOAC) Program is aware that all healthcare sectors are in need of PPE and continues to request PPE supplies from the State and Federal Government. When these supplies are received, they will be pushed out on a priority basis focusing on hospitals, EMS provider agency, clinics, and long-term care facilities. There is no need to submit a resource request for PPE supplies. MHOAC knows that everyone is in need.

LAC DPH Request for Assets
Long Term Care Facilities in need of COVID-19 related PPE can complete this survey to request supplies. Note: these supplies come out of the MHOAC Program and are allocated on a priority basis.