Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE," is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses. The guidance below is to protect health care workers and other patients at facilities that provide care to patients with COVID-19. General Public: Follow everyday preventive actions, such as wearing a mask, washing your hands, practicing physical distancing, and staying home as much as possible, especially when you are sick. Patients: Patients with confirmed or possible SARS-CoV-2 infection should wear a mask
when being evaluated medically. Schools are temporarily able to order the following models of Honeywell N-95 through this form: DC300, and H910+. Schools are also temporarily able to request face masks and vinyl gloves. Please note the information below regarding the Distribution and Use of N95's. Shelter organizations may also request PPE from the DHS Stockpile at this time. The DHS Warehouse now has child-size and KN95 masks for children ages 2-12.
Schools, child-care facilities, after-school programs and community groups are prioritized to receive these masks. DHS has asked child care agencies to request these masks through their local or tribal health department. School districts may continue to submit requests via the DHS Stockpile Request form. The child-size masks should only be provided in response to requests and not for general distribution, and the quantity requested should not exceed enrollment of children at each facility. The DHS Medical Stockpile may be accessed by facilities or agencies that meet the following criteria:
Yes, please submit your request as directed above. You will receive a call from a WI DHS staff who can discuss your request, and assist you with finding the resources you need. If an employer mandates or requires the use of N95 respirators by employees, they must provide a respiratory protection program, medical surveillance and other regulatory requirements as provided by OSHA. These OSHA standards are specifically incorporated by reference in the State of Wisconsin for public sector employees within SPS 332. Public Sector Employee Safety Website Resources can be found on the DSPS website. However, per the OSHA standard, if an employer provides an N95 respirator on a voluntary basis, they can do so without providing a respiratory protection program per the regulation as long as they provide the information noted in Appendix D of the OSHA standard. We also recommend providing to those who use the N95's further information about optimal mask effectiveness, per the CDC. Health care personnel should adhere to Standard and Transmission-based Precautions when caring for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Recommended PPE is described in the CDC's infection control guidance. DHS has published interim guidance regarding the use and decontamination of respirators. Health care facilities should review CDC’s guidance on PPE optimization and NIOSH’s guidance on extended use and limited reuse of N95 respirators for full information. Extended use refers to the practice of wearing the same N95 respirator for repeated close contact encounters with several patients, without removing the respirator between patient encounters. Extended use is well suited to situations wherein multiple patients with the same infectious disease diagnosis, whose care requires use of a respirator, are cohorted (e.g., housed on the same hospital unit). Reuse refers to the practice of using the same N95 respirator for multiple encounters with patients but removing it (‘doffing’) after each encounter. Extended use is favored over reuse because it is expected to involve less touching of the respirator and therefore less risk of contact transmission. If extended use or reuse of N95 respirators is permitted, health care facilities should consider additional training and reminders (for example, posters) for staff to reinforce the need to minimize unnecessary contact with the respirator surface, strict adherence to hand hygiene practices, and proper donning and doffing technique. For extended use or reuse of N95 respirators, health care facilities should advise staff to take the following steps to reduce contact transmission:
Additionally, for reuse of N95 respirators, health care facilities should advise staff to take the following steps:
Among other strategies, decontamination of FFRs has been suggested as a crisis capacity strategy. Decontamination procedures are not considered standard use by any of the FFR manufacturers or CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); however, in light of the existing shortages, CDC published guidance on their website. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) for several FFR decontaminated processes. These EUAs included a guidance document for the decontamination method manufacturer along with specific instructions for the health care facility and health care workers, including the number of decontamination cycles that can be utilized for each process. Due to the inaugural nature and risks associated with these decontamination procedures, these procedures are meant to be implemented as in-house policies that require specialized equipment, a written program, and adequately trained staff. The respirator manufacturer(s) must be consulted to determine if the chosen method is compatible with the FFRs in use at each institution. An alternative suggested strategy to decontamination of FFRs is to issue five respirators to each health care worker who may care for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. The health care worker will wear one respirator each day and at the end of each shift store it in its own breathable paper bag. (Each bag should be placed in a second paper bag that is disposed after each use). The order of FFR use should be repeated, so that a minimum of five days passes between each FFR use. This will result in each worker requiring a minimum of five FFRs, providing that they put on, take off, care for them, and store them properly each day. For additional information, and updated resources, please refer to current CDC website. DHS expects that personal protective equipment (PPE) from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) will not fully meet the needs of the provider community operating at surge capacity. Because DHS expects continued PPE shortages, facilities should follow strategies to optimize the supply of PPE in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Optimizing Your PPE
Conventional Capacity Measures Under conventional capacity, facilities use measures for providing patient care without any change in daily contemporary practices. These measures, consisting of engineering, administrative, and PPE controls, should already be implemented in general infection prevention and control plans in health care settings. Contingency Capacity Measures Under contingency capacity, facilities use temporary measures during periods of expected PPE shortages that may change daily contemporary practices but may not have any significant impact on the care delivered to the patient or the safety of the HCP. Depending on the type of PPE, measures may include:
Crisis Capacity Measures Under crisis capacity, facilities use alternate strategies, or a combination of alternate strategies, during periods of expected or known PPE shortages that are not commensurate with contemporary U.S. standards of care. Depending on the type of PPE, measures may include:
During severe resource limitations, facilities should consider excluding HCP who may be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, such as those of older age, those with chronic medical conditions, or those who may be pregnant, from caring for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. Resources
Last Revised: July 26, 2022 Call 211 or 877-947-2211 to get referrals for thousands of services across Wisconsin. For COVID-19 questions, text COVID to 211-211. Language assistance is available. Get help learning how to manage stress and adapt to change with services and support from organizations across the state. Find help with housing, income, food, employment, health care, mental health concerns, safety at home, and more—in multiple languages. What is the proper way to wear a mask to help prevent COVID• Clean your hands before you put your mask on, as well as before and after you take it off, and after you touch it at any time.
• Make sure it covers both your nose, mouth and chin.
• When you take off a mask, store it in a clean plastic bag, and every day either wash it if it’s a fabric mask, or dispose of a medical mask in a trash bin.
• Don’t use masks with valves.
How long can COVIDAfter being expelled from the body, coronaviruses can survive on surfaces for hours to days. If a person touches the dirty surface, they may deposit the virus at the eyes, nose, or mouth where it can enter the body cause infection.
What can I do to cope with the effects of COVIDSedentary behaviour and low levels of physical activity can have negative effects on the health, well-being and quality of life of individuals. Self-quarantine can also cause additional stress and challenge the mental health of citizens.
Physical activity and relaxation techniques can be valuable tools to help you remain calm and continue to protect your health during this time. WHO recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or a combination of both.
Can COVIDThere is currently no evidence that people can catch COVID-19 from food. The virus that causes COVID-19 can be killed at temperatures similar to that of other known viruses and bacteria found in food.
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