Pandemic Influenza Plan - Questar III

Appendix 8-B
o If the contact has left the county and/or state, notify the NYSDOH Regional
Epidemiologist.
• Contact Evaluation and Monitoring
o Alert contacts of their potential exposure to a novel influenza virus.
o Verify exposures.
• Verify exposure to index case during the period of infectiousness.
• Verify the type of exposure.
o If initial contact is made at a home or workplace visit, the appropriate personal
protective equipment (PPE) should be utilized since the contact’s health status
will be unknown.
o Evaluate contact’s health status using the Pandemic Influenza Contact Record
Form (Appendix 8-C).
o Ensure prophylaxis is provided, if indicated.
o Identify any additional contacts who may not have been listed by the index
case.
o Enter data from the Contact Record Form on the HIN.
o Consider quarantine of contacts based on the level of influenza activity:
• Ill Contacts
o If the contact is febrile or has respiratory symptoms, make arrangements for a
medical evaluation by a healthcare provider.
• Ensure that the medical facility staff are informed and prepared to
handle a suspect novel influenza virus case.
• Ensure that the contact does not take public transportation en route
to their medical evaluation.
• Advise the contact to remain at home and use respiratory
precautions until they are evaluated by a healthcare provider.
o Ill contacts should be counseled, interviewed, and reported as a suspected
novel influenza virus case using the Pandemic Influenza Case Reporting Form
(see Section 2: Surveillance and Laboratory Testing), and his/her contacts
should be identified using the Pandemic Influenza Contact Record Form
(Appendix 8-C).
• Well Contacts
o Initiate plans for ongoing symptom monitoring for 10 days after their last
exposure to a novel influenza virus case. Monitoring of contacts may be
active (e.g., regular workplace body temperature monitoring by a supervisor)
or passive (e.g., self monitoring of symptoms and temperature by the contact
with reporting to the local health department at least once a day).
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