mteb/FeedbackQARetrieval huggingface dataset:
General Business Frequently Asked Questions
Reducing the Spread of COVID-19 in Workplaces
What can I tell my employees about reducing the spread of COVID-19 at work?
Employees should take the following steps to protect
themselves at
work:

Follow the policies and procedures of the employer related to illness, cleaning and disinfecting, and work meetings and travel.
Stay home if sick, except to get medical care.
Maintain a distance of at least 6 ft. from all other persons
Understand that no one with symptoms should be present at the workplace. Employees should inform their supervisor if they or their colleagues develop symptoms at work, especially fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing noses, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place. 
Use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.


Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth.
To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc.
Minimize handling cash, credit cards, and mobile or electronic devices when possible.
Practice social distancing by keeping at least 6 feet away from fellow co-workers, customers, and visitors when possible.
Avoid all non-essential travel.
General Business Frequently Asked Questions
Reducing the Spread of COVID-19 in Workplaces
How do I keep employees who interact with customers safe?
To keep your employees safe, you should:

Consider options to increase physical space between employees and customers such as opening a drive- through, erecting partitions, and marking floors to guide spacing at least six feet apart.
At least once a day clean and disinfect surfaces frequently touched by multiple people. This includes door handles, desks, phones, light switches, and faucets,
Consider assigning a person to rotate throughout the workplace to clean and disinfect surfaces.
Consider scheduling handwashing breaks so employees can wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
Consider scheduling a relief person to give cashiers and service desk workers an opportunity to wash their hands.
General Business Frequently Asked Questions
Cleaning and Disinfection in the Workplace
In addition to cleaning and disinfecting, what can I do to decrease the spread of disease in my workplace?
Employers can also:

Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles.
Provide soap and water in the workplace. If soap and water are not readily available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. If hands are visibly dirty, soap and water should be chosen over hand sanitizer.
Place hand sanitizer in multiple locations to encourage good hand hygiene practices.
Place posters that encourage staying home when sick, the importance of hand hygiene, and coughing and sneezing etiquette at the entrance to your workplace and in other workplace areas where employees are likely to see them.
Discourage handshaking
General Business Frequently Asked Questions
Cleaning and Disinfection in the Workplace
Should I adjust my ventilation system?
The risk of spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 through ventilation
systems has not been studied, but is likely low. Routine HVAC maintenance is
recommended. Although it is never the first line of prevention, consider
general ventilation adjustments in your workplace, such as increasing
ventilation and increasing the amount of outdoor air used by the system.
Maintain the indoor air temperature and humidity at comfortable levels for
building occupants.
General Business Frequently Asked Questions
Suspected or Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in the Workplace
What should I do if an employee has a respiratory illness?
Employees who appear to have COVID-19 symptoms, such as fever, cough, or
shortness of breath, upon arrival to work or become sick during the day with
COVID-19 symptoms should immediately be separated from other employees,
customers, and visitors and sent home.
CDC has a symptom self-checker chatbot called Clara that employers and employees may
find helpful. It has a series of questions and recommends what level of
medical care, if any, the user should seek. It is not intended to provide
diagnosis or treatment.
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs for COVID-19
What personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn by individuals transporting patients who are confirmed with or under investigation for COVID-19 within a healthcare facility? For example, what PPE should be worn when transporting a patient to radiology for imaging that cannot be performed in the patient room?
In general, transport and movement of the patient outside of their room should
be limited to medically essential purposes. If being transported outside of
the room, such as to radiology, healthcare personnel (HCP) in the receiving
area should be notified in advance of transporting the patient. For transport,
the patient should wear a facemask or cloth face covering to contain
secretions and be covered with a clean sheet.
If transport personnel must prepare the patient for transport (e.g., transfer
them to the wheelchair or gurney), transport personnel should wear all
recommended PPE (gloves, a gown, respiratory protection that is at least
as protective as a fit tested NIOSH-certified disposable N95 filtering
facepiece respirator or facemask—if a respirator is not available—and eye
protection [i.e., goggles or disposable face shield that covers the front and
sides of the face]). This recommendation is needed because these interactions
typically involve close, often face-to-face, contact with the patient in an
enclosed space (e.g., patient room). Once the patient has been transferred to
the wheelchair or gurney (and prior to exiting the room), transporters should
remove their gown, gloves, and eye protection and perform hand hygiene.
If the patient is wearing a facemask or cloth face covering, no recommendation
for PPE is made typically for HCP transporting patients with a respiratory
infection from the patient’s room to the destination. However, given current
limitations in knowledge regarding COVID-19 and following the currently
cautious approach for risk stratification and monitoring of healthcare
personnel caring for patients with
COVID-19, use of
a facemask by the transporter is recommended for anything more than brief
encounters with COVID-19 patients. Additional PPE should not be required
unless there is an anticipated need to provide medical assistance during
transport (e.g., helping the patient replace a dislodged facemask).
After arrival at their destination, receiving personnel (e.g., in radiology)
and the transporter (if assisting with transfer) should perform hand hygiene
and wear all recommended PPE. If still wearing their original respirator or facemask,
the transporter should take care to avoid self-contamination when donning the
remainder of the recommended PPE. This cautious approach will be refined and
updated as more information becomes available and as response needs change in
the United States.
Interim guidance for EMS personnel transporting patients with confirmed or
suspected COVID-19 is available here. EMS personnel should wear all recommended PPE because they are
providing direct medical care and in close contact with the patient for longer
periods of time.
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs for COVID-19
Why does CDC continue to recommend respiratory protection equivalent or higher to the level provided by an N95 disposable filtering facepiece respirator for care of patients with known or suspected COVID-19?
CDC’s guidance to use NIOSH-approved N95 disposable filtering facepiece or
higher level respirators when providing care for patients with suspected or
known COVID-19 is based on the current understanding of SARS-CoV-2 and related
respiratory viruses.
Current data suggest that close-range aerosol transmission by droplet and
inhalation, and contact followed by self-delivery to the eyes, nose, or mouth
are likely routes of transmission. Long-range aerosol transmission, such as is
seen with measles, has not been a feature of SARS-CoV-2.
Potential routes of close-range transmission include splashes and sprays of
infectious material onto mucous membranes and inhalation of infectious virions
exhaled by an infected person. The relative contribution of each of these is
not known for SARS-Co-V-2.
Facemasks commonly used during surgical procedures will provide barrier
protection against droplet sprays contacting mucous membranes of the nose and
mouth, but they are not designed to protect wearers from inhaling small
particles. N95 and higher level respirators, such as other disposable
filtering facepiece respirators, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs),
and elastomeric respirators, provide both barrier and respiratory protection
because of their tight fit and filtration characteristics.
Respirators should be used as part of a respiratory protection program that
provides staff with medical evaluations, training, and fit testing.
Although facemasks are routinely used for the care of patients with common
viral respiratory infections, N95 or higher level respirators are routinely
recommended for emerging pathogens like SARS CoV-2, which have the potential
for transmission via small particles, the ability to cause severe infections,
and no specific treatments or vaccines.
CDC recommendations acknowledge the current challenges with limited supplies
of N95s and other respirators. Facilities that do not have sufficient supplies
of N95s and other respirators for all patient care should prioritize their use
for activities and procedures that pose high risks of generating infectious
aerosols and use facemasks for care that does not involve those activities or
procedures. Detailed strategies for optimizing the supply of N95
respirators are
available on the CDC website. Once availability of supplies is reestablished,
the guidance states that the use of N95 and higher level respirators should
resume.
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs for COVID-19
Which procedures are considered aerosol generating procedures in healthcare settings?
Some procedures performed on patients are more likely to generate higher
concentrations of infectious respiratory aerosols than coughing, sneezing,
talking, or breathing. These aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) potentially
put healthcare personnel and others at an increased risk for pathogen exposure
and infection.
Development of a comprehensive list of AGPs for healthcare settings has not
been possible, due to limitations in available data on which procedures may
generate potentially infectious aerosols and the challenges in determining if
reported transmissions during AGPs are due to aerosols or other exposures.
There is neither expert consensus, nor sufficient supporting data, to create a
definitive and comprehensive list of AGPs for healthcare settings.
Commonly performed medical procedures that are often considered AGPs, or that
create uncontrolled respiratory secretions, include:

open suctioning of airways
sputum induction
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
endotracheal intubation and extubation
non-invasive ventilation (e.g., BiPAP, CPAP)
bronchoscopy
manual ventilation

Based on limited available data, it is uncertain whether aerosols generated
from some procedures may be infectious, such as:

nebulizer administration*
high flow O2 delivery

*Aerosols generated by nebulizers are derived from medication in the nebulizer. It is uncertain whether potential associations between performing this common procedure and increased risk of infection might be due to aerosols generated by the procedure or due to increased contact between those administering the nebulized medication and infected patients.
References related to aerosol generating procedures:
Tran K, Cimon K, Severn M, Pessoa-Silva CL, Conly J (2012) Aerosol Generating
Procedures and Risk of Transmission of Acute Respiratory Infections to
Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review. PLoS ONE 7(4);
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3338532/#!po=72.2222external
iconexternal
icon).
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs for COVID-19
Do all patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 need to be placed in airborne infection isolation rooms?
No. Updated CDC Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for
Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in
Healthcare
Settings recommends placing patients in a regular
examination room with the door closed. Airborne infection isolation rooms
should be reserved for patients undergoing aerosol generating procedures or
for diagnoses such as active tuberculosis.
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs for COVID-19
Where should nasopharyngeal swabs be performed on a known or suspected COVID-19 patient, and with what PPE?
The collection of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs from patients with known or
suspected COVID-19 can be performed in a regular examination room with the
door closed. Use of an airborne infection isolation room for nasopharyngeal
specimen collection is not required. HCP in the room should wear an N95 or
higher-level respirator (or facemask if a respirator is not available), eye
protection, gloves, and a gown. If respirators are not readily available, they
should be prioritized for other procedures at higher risk for producing
infectious aerosols (e.g., intubation), instead of for collecting NP swabs.
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs for COVID-19
Is a negative test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, required before a hospitalized patient can be discharged to a nursing home?
No. For patients hospitalized with COVID-19, decisions about discharge
from the hospital should be based on their clinical status and the ability
of the accepting facility to meet their care needs and adhere to recommended
infection prevention and control practices. Decisions about hospital discharge
are distinct from decisions about discontinuation of Transmission-Based
Precautions.
For patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, decisions about
discontinuing Transmission-Based Precautions should be based on the
strategies outlined here. The test-based strategy is NOT REQUIRED and
might not be possible due to limitations on availability of testing.
If a patient with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 has not met criteria for
discontinuing Transmission-Based Precautions, they should be transferred to a
facility with the ability to adhere to infection prevention and control
recommendations for the care
of residents with COVID-19, including placement in a unit or area of the
facility designated to care for residents with COVID-19 and provision of
recommended personal protective equipment to healthcare personnel.
If the patient with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 has met the criteria
for discontinuing Transmission-Based Precautions but has persistent
symptoms (e.g., persistent cough), they should ideally be placed in a single
room, be restricted to their room to the extent possible, and wear a facemask
(if tolerated) during care activities until all symptoms are completely
resolved or at baseline. If the patient has met the criteria for
discontinuing Transmission-Based Precautions and does not have persistent
symptoms, they do not require additional restrictions.
A patient hospitalized for non-COVID-related illnesses whose COVID-19 status
is not known can be transferred to a nursing home without testing. However, to
ensure they are not infected, nursing homes should place them in
Transmission-based Precautions in a separate observation area or in a single-person room until 14
days have elapsed since admission.
As part of universal source control
measures,
all residents (including those described in the scenarios above) should wear a
cloth face covering or facemask (if tolerated) whenever they leave their room.
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs for COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, are there special considerations for surgical and other procedural care settings, including performance of aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs)?
As part of routine practices, healthcare personnel (HCP) should be applying
Standard Precautions. HCP
should always deliberately assess potential risks of exposure to infectious
material before engaging in activities and procedures in healthcare delivery.
Based on their risk assessment, safe work practices, including engineering
controls that reduce the release of infectious material, administrative
controls, and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) should be implemented
at the point of care according to CDC guidelines and standards of practice for
the activity performed.
To reduce SARS-CoV-2 exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic, CDC recommends
that facilities:

consider nonoperative approaches when feasible;
minimize the use of procedures or techniques that might produce infectious aerosols when feasible;
minimize the number of people in the operating or procedure room to reduce exposures;
use the extent of community transmission and an assessment of the likelihood for patient harm if care is delayed to make decisions about cancelling or postponing elective surgeries and procedures; and
implement universal source control measures, which includes having patients wear a cloth face covering (as tolerated) and having HCP wear a facemask at all times while they are in the healthcare facility.

If surgery or procedures cannot be postponed, HCP caring for patients with
suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should adhere to all recommended infection
prevention and control practices for
COVID-19.
This includes:

Using all recommended PPE: an N95 or higher-level respirator (or facemask if respirators are not available), eye protection, gloves, and a gown. 
Respirators with exhalation valves should not be used during surgical procedures as unfiltered exhaled breath would compromise the sterile field.
If shortages exist, N95 or higher-level respirators should be prioritized for procedures involving higher risk techniques (e.g., that generate potentially infectious aerosols) or that involve anatomic regions where viral loads might be higher (e.g., nose and throat, oropharynx, respiratory tract).


As part of routine practice, HCP should also be using additional engineering controls for source control, when applicable (e.g., smoke evacuation devices).

Because COVID-19 can be transmitted asymptomatically, some infected
individuals will not be identified based on clinical signs and symptoms. HCP
providing surgical or procedural care to patients not suspected of having
COVID-19 should use a tiered approach based on the level of community
transmission to inform the need for universal eye protection and respirator
use (see FAQ addressing recommended PPE when caring for asymptomatic patients
who are not suspected to have COVID-19). HCP should continue to use eye
protection or an N95 or higher-level respirator whenever recommended for
patient care as a part of Standard or Transmission-Based Precautions.
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs for COVID-19
How long does an examination room need to remain vacant after being occupied by a patient with confirmed or suspected COVID-19?
Although spread of SARS-CoV-2 is believed to be primarily via respiratory
droplets, the contribution of small respirable particles to close proximity
transmission is currently uncertain. Airborne transmission from person-to-
person over long distances is unlikely.
The amount of time that the air inside an examination room remains potentially
infectious is not known and may depend on a number of factors including the
size of the room, the number of air changes per hour, how long the patient was
in the room, if the patient was coughing or sneezing, and if an aerosol-
generating procedure was performed. Facilities will need to consider these
factors when deciding when the vacated room can be entered by someone who is
not wearing PPE.
For a patient who was not coughing or sneezing, did not undergo an aerosol-
generating procedure, and occupied the room for a short period of time (e.g.,
a few minutes), any risk to HCP and subsequent patients likely dissipates over
a matter of minutes. However, for a patient who was coughing and remained in
the room for a longer period of time or underwent an aerosol-generating
procedure, the risk period is likely longer.
For these higher risk scenarios, it is reasonable to apply a similar time
period as that used for pathogens spread by the airborne route (e.g., measles,
tuberculosis) and to restrict HCP and patients without PPE from entering the
room until sufficient time has elapsed for enough air changes to remove
potentially infectious particles.
General guidance on clearance rates under differing ventilation
conditions
is available.
In addition to ensuring sufficient time for enough air changes to remove
potentially infectious particles, HCP should clean and disinfect environmental
surfaces and shared equipment before the room is used for another patient.
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs for COVID-19
If a long-term care facility has a resident or staff member with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, how and to whom should this be communicated?
Facilities should follow the reporting requirements of their state or
jurisdiction. Those regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) (e.g., nursing homes) should also follow all CMS
requirementspdf iconexternal
icon, which are being
updated to include new requirements for reporting to CDC and to residents and
their representatives.
In addition, CDC recommends
that health departments be promptly notified
about:

Residents or healthcare personnel (HCP) with suspected or confirmed COVID-19,
Residents with severe respiratory infection resulting in hospitalization or death, and
≥ 3 residents or HCP with new-onset respiratory symptoms within 72 hours of each other.

These could signal an outbreak of COVID-19 or other respiratory disease in the
facility. The health department can provide important guidance to assist with
case finding and halting transmission.
The facility should also have a plan and mechanism to regularly communicate
with residents, family members, and HCP, including if cases of COVID-19 are
identified in the facility. Often, information in nursing homes is
communicated through town hall meetings and staff meetings, along with letters
or emails. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person gatherings should
not occur. Instead, communication should occur through virtual meetings over
phone or web platforms. These should be supplemented with written
communications that provide contact information for a staff member who can
respond to questions or concerns. Communications should include information
describing the current situation, plans for limiting spread within the
facility, and recommended actions they can take to protect themselves and
others. Facilities should make this information available in a timely manner
and offer periodic updates as the situation develops and more information
becomes available.