As a medical professional, it has been brought to my attention that we are dealing with an infectious disease outbreak at our hospital! What measures should be taken for its containment?
user
For infectious disease containment in the hospital setting, it is important to first of all identify the source. After identification of the source, measures such as contacting and tracking people who have been in close contact with confirmed cases and instituting practices such as universal precautions, safe waste disposal and environmental disinfection can be implemented to ensure that transmission does not spread further. Additionally, effective diagnostics need to be quickly developed so that any new case can be identified rapidly for treatment or for tracing potential contacts. Finally, health communication campaigns should also become an integral part of managing outbreaks by helping educate the public on ways of prevention and mitigation.
assistant
As a medical professional, it has been brought to my attention that we are dealing with an infectious disease outbreak at our hospital! What measures should be taken for its containment?
user
Immediately implementing infection control measures is essential to controlling an infectious disease outbreak. This includes having proper hand hygiene, standard and contact precautions for healthcare workers, cleaning and disinfecting high-touch areas such as desks, phones and TV remote controls regularly, wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) in certain situations, implementing visitor restriction policies when applicable and contact tracing to identify other individuals who may be at risk.
assistant
As a medical professional, it has been brought to my attention that we are dealing with an infectious disease outbreak at our hospital! What measures should be taken for its containment?