CDC guidance for COVID-19 may be adapted by state and local health departments to respond to rapidly changing local circumstances.
Who this is for: Healthcare personnel managing patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
What this is for: To help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 in healthcare facilities.
How to use: Reference to guide healthcare regarding discontinuing transmission-based precautions and discharging hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Summary of Recent Changes
Guidance as of March 23, 2020
- Clarified that patients with COVID-19 can be discharged from a healthcare facility whenever clinically indicated. Meeting criteria for discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions is not a prerequisite for discharge.
- Updated guidance for a test-based strategy: The recommendation to collect both NP and OP swabs at each sampling has been changed so that only one swab, preferably an NP, is necessary at each sampling.
- Added guidance for:
- Discontinuation of transmission-based precautions without testing.
- Discontinuation of empiric transmission-based precautions for patients suspected of having COVID-19.
- When using a testing-based strategy for discontinuation of transmission-based precautions is preferred.
This guidance is based on available information about COVID-19 and subject to change as additional information becomes available.
For discontinuation of home isolation for COVID-19, see (Interim Guidance for Discontinuation of In-Home Isolation for Patients with COVID-19).
For return-to-work criteria for healthcare personnel with COVID-19, see (Interim Guidance for Discontinuation of In-Home Isolation for Patients with COVID-19).