2 December 2024

Heading into winter – we see an increase in viral gastroenteritis and seasonal respiratory viruses including COVID-19 and Influenza. Please see below SOPs to support staff managing patients and staff with respiratory infections, and guidance on managing staff and patients with diarrhoea and vomiting.

Patients with COVID-19, Influenza, and respiratory infections

Patients with respiratory symptoms will be tested using an LFD test. If positive, isolate for a full period of five days and discontinue isolation on day six if apyrexial and well. Those testing negative will only require isolation if they are pyrexial or unwell, until apyrexial or following medical review if unwell and will receive further LFD testing.

Influenza

Patient with symptoms of flu, will need to be isolated, they may present with the following symptoms –

  • Temperature of 37.8 and one of the following:
  • acute onset respiratory symptoms: cough hoarseness, nasal discharge or congestion, shortness of breath, sore throat, wheezing, sneezing, chills,
  • headache, muscle pain, joint pain.

Or an acute deterioration in physical or mental ability without other known cause.

If staff are considering Flu as a cause, please collect PCR swab.The patient will need to remain in isolation until PCR results is available.

Staff testing

Healthcare staff with symptoms of a respiratory infection (including COVID-19)

Staff who have symptoms of a respiratory infection should follow public health guidance and stay at home if they feel unwell or have a high temperature until they no longer have a high temperature (if they had one), and no longer feel unwell.

Although healthcare staff are not required to take LFD test, if you have a positive COVID-19 test result, regardless of whether you have symptoms or not, you should, stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days after the day you took your test. On day six, you can return to work if you no longer have a high temperature (if you had one) and no longer feel unwell.

Ward based outbreaks

IPC Team will continue to manage outbreaks and provide guidance, including patient and staff testing.

Masks – no changes to current guidance

Masks will be reintroduced on ward settings during suspected or confirmed single cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 or other respiratory infections. Staff can continue to wear masks as a personal choice. The following guidance includes the management of symptomatic and positive patients.

Staff working in other trusts must comply with local SOPs at these sites.

Visitors will not be mandated to wear masks, but encouraged to access masks as a personal choice, as well as alcohol gel, at all hospital, clinic and ward entrances.

Visiting a ward that is in outbreak will be by exception and must be discussed with the IPC Team prior to taking place.

Diarrhoea and vomiting/Norovirus

We are now moving into the winter, where we have previously seen an increase in numbers of patients and staff developing viral gastroenteritis and Norovirus.

It is an unpleasant illness to catch, but for most people it will usually pass in a couple of days, there are specific measures that wards can introduce that will reduce the spread of infection to other patients and staff. Staff should be mindful to obtain a faecal sample whenever possible.

Please refer to the Diarrhoea and Vomiting Outbreak - Ward Action Checklist

The latest IPC guidance, along with risk assessments and further IPC SOPs, can be found on YourSpace.

 

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