Employed cleaning protocols should ensure adequate sanitization in all environments, including quarantine/isolation/patient care areas, as well as all workspaces and quarters. All non-dedicated, non-disposable patient care medical equipment should be cleaned and disinfected according to manufacturer’s instructions and facility policies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has compiled a list of Disinfectants for Use against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Doorway Management: Strategic opening and closing of doorways can prevent viral transmission. Opening high-flow doorways in hallways can reduce the number of high-touch surfaces in a facility, while closing the doors of individual office spaces can reduce cross-contamination of virus across office spaces. Doorway management approaches MUST consider operational security, facility security, safety, and privacy guidelines.

- Entrances/Exits: Hand sanitizer dispensers should be placed near entryways. Limiting the flow of traffic and personnel in and out of high traffic areas should be considered to reduce cross-contamination.
- Bathroom Entrances/Exits: Hand washing signs should be clearly posted. When possible, position trash cans inside bathrooms near the door to allow paper towel use and disposal for no-touch exit.
- Single occupancy: Best practice is to isolate personnel and patients in single occupancy to reduce the spread. Areas that were once open bays should be evaluated for ability to convert to single occupancy, if possible.
- Negative pressure rooms: The following are the best practices to limit the exposure of patients and staff: check with facilities management to ensure that the negative pressure rooms are functioning, evaluate for the possibility of adding negative pressure rooms as needed for the facility.

Note: Separate ventilation is important.

RESOURCES:

USCENTCOM Infection Prevention and Control Policy in a Deployed Setting (CCOP-02)

CDC Cleaning and Disinfecting your Facility

CDC Cleaning and Disinfection for Households