Pandemic Influenza Plan - Questar III

Section 4: Infection Control
The following should be done to identify and control an influenza outbreak in a LTCF
setting:
• Perform syndromic surveillance for respiratory illness on all units to identify any
clusters of influenza-like illness.
• If a cluster of ILI is identified, report to the NYSDOH, Bureau of Communicable
Disease Control, Regional Epidemiology Program, by:
o Electronically reporting on the Nosocomial Outbreak Reporting
Application (NORA) on the following Website:
https://commerce.health.state.ny.us/hpn/infecontrol/forms.html
OR
o Faxing an Infection Control (Nosocomial) Report Form (DOH form
4018) to 518-408-1745.
• Prevent floating of staff.
• Restrict group activities.
• Restrict visitors.
• Droplet precautions are to be utilized for all patients with confirmed influenza or
influenza-like illness for the duration of illness, and a minimum of 5 days (note:
the infectious period is under discussion with the CDC).
• Vaccinate unvaccinated staff and residents, if vaccine available (see Section 6 for
vaccine prioritization).
• Provide antivirals for treatment of residents with influenza-like illness, if
antivirals are available (see Section 7 for antiviral prioritization).
• Provide prophylaxis for both residents and staff of entire facility, if sufficient
supply. If supply limited, administer antiviral prophylaxis to affected units.
• Ill staff should not report to work.
• If severe staffing shortages due to a pandemic necessitate staff to work while ill,
they should be:
o given antiviral treatment;
o instructed to wear a surgical mask; and
o assigned to the ill cohort.
I. Visitor guidance for LTCFs
A visitor is anyone entering a health care facility to visit a resident or staff member,
attend a meeting or event, or accompanying an individual accessing health care treatment,
assessment, examination or investigation. Visitors have a responsibility to behave in a
manner that does not put others at risk, and to respond to staff's requests and facility
regulations for the protection of themselves and others.
Guidance for the notification, surveillance and/or restriction of visitors is dependent on
the level of influenza activity on the world, national, state and local levels. Healthcare
facilities should prepare for each level of a pandemic to assure they can have systems in
place quickly in the event access to the facility would need to be monitored and/or
restricted.
February 7, 2006 4-20