March 26, 2020 -- Columbia Mailman School of Public Health's Dr. John W. Rowe, Professor of Health Policy and Aging, is a member of a WHO Expert Panel on Care of the Elderly which just released the attached guidance for prevention and management of COVID-19 among elderly in long term care facilities. The paper that outlines the objective of WHO interim guidance on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF) in the context of COVID-19 which is to prevent COVID-19-virus from entering the facility, spreading within the facility, and spreading to outside the facility.
The findings also provide:
- Guidance on system and service coordination to provide long-term care and on protocols for infection prevention and control within Long Term Care Facilities, for example, with regard to visitor, employee hygiene.
- Advice on surveillances and early detection within facilities of COVID-19, emphasizing early detection of cases;
- protocols for surveillance of employees and visitor screening; care for and confinement of residents with COVID-19;
- use of personal protective equipment; and
- cleaning measures for Long Term Care facilities.
WHO guidelines call for a minimization of the effect of infection control on the mental health and wellbeing of residents as well as for caregivers and staff. This interim guidance will be updated as more becomes known about COVID19.
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Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Founded in 1922, the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Columbia Mailman School is the seventh largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its nearly 300 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change and health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with more than 1,300 graduate students from 55 nations pursuing a variety of master's and doctoral degree programs. The Columbia Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers, including ICAP and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit http://www.mailman.columbia.edu.