Practice Alert Podcast

Coronavirus outbreak: Time to prepare

J Fam Pract. 2020 March;69(2):audio
By
Doug Campos-Outcalt, MD, MPA
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The news surrounding the spread of the coronavirus has taken on a tabloid-like quality, with headline after headline striking an increasingly alarming tone. But headlines aside, what should the family physician (FP) be doing if the virus becomes more widespread in the United States?

In this month’s audiocast, Dr. Campos-Outcalt identifies the issues that FPs should be thinking about, including how to

  • prevent infection transmission in your clinical setting
  • educate patients about good respiratory and hand hygiene
  • send home sick patients while minimizing the likelihood that they will spread the infection to family members.

(For more specifics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, see the reference list below.)

 

References

  1. Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) or Persons Under Investigation for COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/infection-control/control-recommendations.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fhcp%2Finfection-control.html. Updated February 21, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2020.
  2. Interim Clinical Guidance for Management of Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-guidance-management-patients.html. Updated February 12, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2020.
  3. Interim Guidance for Implementing Home Care of People Not Requiring Hospitalization for 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-home-care.html. Updated February 12, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2020.
  4. Interim Guidance for Preventing the Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Homes and Residential Communities. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-prevent-spread.html. Updated February 14, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2020.
  5. World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports. Updated February 26, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2020.
  6. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html. Updated February 26, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2020.

ALSO, see last month’s audiocast: “Coronavirus outbreak: Putting it into perspective.”

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