Medical triage is a familiar concept for all military medical personnel. The primary goal of saving as many lives as possible remains the same for pandemic disease triage. However, the operational concepts shift to the following main ideas:

1. Identifying and cohorting infectious or potentially infectious persons as soon as possible.
2. Identifying infected individuals who will most likely deteriorate rapidly/require prolonged advanced medical care to prioritize medical evacuation.
3. During the triage process, treat patients as if they are possibly infected, and screen for appropriate need to continue to isolate patients based on symptoms.

RESOURCES:

Screening and Triage: Early Recognition of Patients with COVID-19, p11

Appendix B: Example Triage Protocols during COVID-19 Pandemic, p96

Management of COVID-19 in Austere Operational Environments CPG v3.0, 23 Apr 2021

Actions on Identification of a COVID-19 PUI, p5

Providing Medical Care to a COVID-19, p13

CDC Information on Contact Tracing and Epidemiologic Interviewing

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers

Complete DD Form 3112, Personnel Accountability and Assessment Notification for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Exposure, April 2020. Turn in DD Form 3112 to Public Health.