Updated Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Health Care Settings
This message is being sent to local public health officers; Tribal health directors; local public health department nurses and staff; Wisconsin National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Users: Long-Term Care list; NHSN Dialysis list; infection preventionists; and the Division of Quality Assurance Notifications list.
In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency ending on May 11, 2023, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) released updated infection prevention and control (IPC) recommendations for health care settings on May 8, 2023. The updated recommendations provide health care settings a framework to implement IPC practices based on their individual facility needs and risks. These recommendations continue to apply to all settings where health care is delivered, including nursing homes and home health.
Due to data variability following the end of the public health emergency, CDC will no longer publish community transmission level data. Previously, community transmission levels informed the use of source control in health care settings, as well as admission testing in nursing homes. Without the availability of this metric, CDC now makes the following recommendations.
Source control
Health care facilities are encouraged to make source control decisions based on facility and patient or resident characteristics and local data sources.
CDC recommends source control that follows the infection control core practices, while also considering outbreaks, higher risk health care locations, and other public health recommendations. Health care personnel should continue to follow standard and transmission-based precautions when required based on suspected diagnoses.
At this time, health care facilities are encouraged to review the updated source control recommendations, identify available local data sources regarding respiratory virus transmission, and assess risks for facility patients, residents, staff, and visitors. Facilities should update source control policies to reflect this new phase of health care response for SARS-CoV-2. As policies are updated, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services encourages widespread staff, resident, patient, and visitor education to ensure understanding of new practices.
Nursing home admission testing
Admission testing is now at the discretion of the accepting nursing home, as it is for other health care settings. Hospital discharge testing on transfer to a nursing home is not a required condition for admission.
All facilities are encouraged to consider the pros and cons of asymptomatic screening testing upon admission. This may change with local respiratory virus activity. Considerations for pre-admission or pre-procedure testing for asymptomatic individuals are described in the CDC guidance.
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