- 1) Most austere locations have group billeting with shared ventilation, making the practice of ‘self-isolation’ impractical. While individual billeting with separated bathrooms is optimal, patient isolation cohorts may be the best option available with limited space.
- 2) Billeting should be able to expand to hold multiple patients of varying severity and allow adequate comfort for all patient categories (mild, moderate, and severe illness).
- 3) Billeting ventilation (i.e. environmental control units) should face away from any gathering areas and common walkways.
- 4) Billeting entrances should be well marked (e.g., “Isolation Area - No Unauthorized Access!”) and include posted guides on proper PPE procedures.
- 5) Consider location relative to bathrooms and areas traversed to get to the bathrooms. If available, designate bathrooms for isolated patients only. If there is engineering support, a pit toilet can be constructed. Disposable water bottles can be used as urinals.
- 6) Consider designating a critical care area within or near the isolation area separate from the main medical facility/aid station. Additionally, consider the route that must be traversed in order to transport the patient to an evacuation platform. The focus should be, as much as possible, on preserving the ability to provide combat casualty care, if needed.
- 7) If confirmatory testing is available, considering cohorting isolated patients by positive test vs. untested or negative test to avoid needlessly infecting PUIs who do not in-fact have COVID-19.