Indications of increased respiratory infection activity in the community:
(1) increased absenteeism at schools
(2) increased absenteeism at work
(3) increased physician office visits for respiratory symptoms
(4) increased emergency department visits for respiratory symptoms
(5) increased hospital admissions for complications of respiratory symptoms
Basic guidelines:
(1) visual alerts at the entrance to the healthcare facility, at patient registration and within outpatient service areas instructing patients with respiratory symptoms about appropriate behaviors
(2) readily available tissues for symptomatic persons to contain respiratory secretions
(3) convenient no-touch receptacles for used tissue disposal
(4) convenient hand-care resources (either hand washing sinks or alcohol-based hand rubs)
Visual alerts:
(1) Should be in languages appropriate for the community.
(2) Should instruct a person to cover the nose and mouth with a disposable tissue when coughing or sneezing.
(3) Should instruct the person to dispose of the used tissue in receptacles and practice hand hygiene.
Additional steps during periods of increased respiratory disease activity:
(1) masks for healthcare workers interacting with patients with respiratory symptoms (droplet precautions)
(2) masks for patients with cough or other respiratory symptoms
(3) restriction on hospital visitors
(4) attention to patient triage and seating (separation of patients with respiratory symptoms, increasing space between patients, back to back seating)
