Infection prevention & control update

Question 1

What are aerosols

Answer 1

particles that remain suspended due to size and/or environmental conditions

Question 2

What are droplets

Answer 2

particles that fall to the ground/surface under the influence of gravity and/or momentum of an infected person’s exhaled air

Question 3

If there is risk of aerosol what pathway is this

Answer 3

considered airborne precautions = respiratory pathway

Question 4

If there is droplet precaution, what pathway do we follow

Answer 4

non-respiratory pathway (non-agp PPE)

Question 5

What are the 10 scientific reasons that support airborne transmission of covid19

Answer 5

o Superspreading events
o Long-range transmission
o Asymptomatic/presymptomatic transmission
o Transmission greater indoors
o Nosocomial infections documented in healthcare with no protection against aerosol exposure
o SARS-cov-2 detected in air
o SARS-cov-2 detected in air filters
o Infected caged animals connected to separately caged uninfected animals
o No evidence to refute airborne transmission
o Limited evidence to support other routes

Question 6

What is the hierarchy for prevnetion

Answer 6

o At the top is elimination where we physically remove the hazard
o Next is substitution where we replace the hazard
o Engineering controls is when we isolate people from the hazard
o Administrative controls change the way people work
o Vaccinations/PPE are at the bottom and are the last line of defence