[Soothing spaces and techniques in psychiatry]. / Espaces et techniques d'apaisement en psychiatrie.

The development of alternatives to seclusion and restraint is a priority for psychiatric care services. Among them, the implementation of soothing spaces is currently experiencing considerable growth.

[The Model of Prevention of Seclusion and Restraint Use in Mental Health: An Integrative Review]. / Le Modèle de prévention de l'utilisation des mesures de contrôle en santé mentale : une revue intégrative.

Background Seclusion and restraint are still being used frequently in psychiatric and mental health care despite their known harmful effects. Many countries have the goal of reducing their use, leading to a number of research on prevention interventions. While many of these interventions have been shown to be effective, reducing restrictive practices depends on several factors. Conceptual models have been developed in relation to seclusion and restraint, but none have addressed their prevention specifically. Aim This article aims to propose The Model of prevention of seclusion and restraint use in mental health by carrying an integrative review on the subject. Methods An integrative review was conducted using Whittemore et Knafl's (2005) approach. Four databases (Pubmed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL) were searched for publications between 2010 and 2020, in French or English. Search terms included seclusion, restraint, psychiatr*, mental health reduction and mental health prevent*. The search resulted in the inclusion of 138 articles. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis (Miles et coll., 2014) and categorized with Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model. Results The six categories represented in the ecological model are described in terms of systems mutually involved in the prevention of seclusion and restraint use: the person (individual), the professionals and the physical environment (microsystem), the ward culture (mesosystem), organizational initiatives (exosystem), national policies and international organizations (macrosystem) and evolution of the discourse or resistance to change (chronosystem). Specific interventions are presented for each system, as well as their interactions. Conclusion The prevention of seclusion and restraint use in mental health is a shared responsibility between the systems involved, who must act as leaders and agents of change by implementing their specific activities. Preventing restrictive practices in mental health will be achieved by developing a shared responsibility and a shift towards a culture of partnership.

Nursing staff composition and its influence on seclusion in an adult forensic mental health inpatient setting: The truth about numbers.

INTRODUCTION: Research on the influence of nursing staff composition and use of seclusion in the forensic mental health inpatient settings is sparse. Nursing staff composition refers to staffing levels, roles, gender ratio and skill mix of the ward teams. Internationally, the rates of seclusion in some forensic mental health inpatient settings have increased over the past 10 years despite global efforts to reduce and eliminate its use. AIM: To examine whether the use of seclusion in a forensic mental health inpatient setting can be attributed to staffing composition or to contextual factors such as day of the week, month or other clinical factors. METHOD: Retrospective data collection was conducted using seclusion data, daily ward reports and staff rosters. Data were collected for all shifts in the hospital over a six-month period. RESULTS: Three staffing variables were identified as having an influence on the use of seclusion: the number of registered nurses on duty, the presence of the shift coordinator and having a lead nurse on shift. DISCUSSION: Senior nurse oversight and guidance are important factors in assisting staff to identify clinical deterioration and intervene early which may assist services reduce the use of seclusion. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: As staffing levels and composition are modifiable, the results of this study may assist nurse leaders to consider workforce improvements to reduce seclusion use.

Preparing for patients with high-consequence infectious diseases: Example of a high-level isolation unit.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with high-consequence infectious diseases (HCID) are rare in Western Europe. However, high-level isolation units (HLIU) must always be prepared for patient admission. Case fatality rates of HCID can be reduced by providing optimal intensive care management. We here describe a single centre's preparation, its embedding in the national context and the challenges we faced during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. METHODS: Ten team leaders organize monthly whole day trainings for a team of doctors and nurses from the HLIU focusing on intensive care medicine. Impact and relevance of training are assessed by a questionnaire and a perception survey, respectively. Furthermore, yearly exercises with several partner institutions are performed to cover different real-life scenarios. Exercises are evaluated by internal and external observers. Both training sessions and exercises are accompanied by intense feedback. RESULTS: From May 2017 monthly training sessions were held with a two-month and a seven-month break due to the first and second wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, respectively. Agreement with the statements of the questionnaire was higher after training compared to before training indicating a positive effect of training sessions on competence. Participants rated joint trainings for nurses and doctors at regular intervals as important. Numerous issues with potential for improvement were identified during post processing of exercises. Action plans for their improvement were drafted and as of now mostly implemented. The network of the permanent working group of competence and treatment centres for HCID (Ständiger Arbeitskreis der Kompetenz- und Behandlungszentren für Krankheiten durch hochpathogene Erreger (STAKOB)) at the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI) was strengthened throughout the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. DISCUSSION: Adequate preparation for the admission of patients with HCID is challenging. We show that joint regular trainings of doctors and nurses are appreciated and that training sessions may improve perceived skills. We also show that real-life scenario exercises may reveal additional deficits, which cannot be easily disclosed in training sessions. Although the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic interfered with our activities the enhanced cooperation among German HLIU during the pandemic ensured constant readiness for the admission of HCID patients to our or to collaborating HLIU. This is a single centre's experience, which may not be generalized to other centres. However, we believe that our work may address aspects that should be considered when preparing a unit for the admission of patients with HCID. These may then be adapted to the local situations.

CE: Using Smart IV Infusion Pumps Outside of Patient Rooms.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for health care workers, who have demonstrated dedication, collaboration, and innovation in response. In this article, the authors describe an important nursing innovation they employed at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York, during the spring 2020 COVID-19 surge: the relocation of smart IV infusion pumps outside of patient rooms. The goals of this innovation were to improve delivery of care, conserve personal protective equipment, limit the spread of the virus, and protect staff from exposure. The authors discuss the initial concerns that arose regarding the safety and efficacy of this practice; the research they conducted with other colleagues in nursing, pharmacy, infection control, and patient safety in the face of scant clinical literature relevant to the difficult circumstances the pandemic created; and the strategies they ultimately employed to ensure that this practice maintained safety and efficacy.

Reducción del periodo de aislamiento de casos confirmados de COVID-19 / Reducción del período de aislamiento de casos confirmados de COVID-19

ANTECEDENTES: Este informe se efectúa en atención a la solicitud de la Jefatura del Instituto Nacional de Salud. El objetivo es brindar la evidencia disponible sobre el efecto de la reducción del periodo de aislamiento de los casos confirmados de COVID-19 sobre la transmisión del SARS-CoV-2. Pregunta PICO: ¿En los casos confirmados de COVID-19, cuál es el efecto de la reducción del periodo de aislamiento sobre la transmisión del SARS-CoV-2? Criterios de elegibilidad: Los criterios de selección de los estudios fueron los siguientes: Ensayos clínicos aleatorizados o revisiones sistemáticas que reporten resultados para al menos uno de los desenlaces en casos confirmados de SARS-CoV-2. En ausencia de resultados para alguno de los desenlaces, se considerará los resultados de estudios de modelos matemáticos o normas sanitarias de otros países. Estudios publicados en idioma inglés y español. Se excluyeron cartas al editor, revisiones narrativas, estudios preclínicos (estudios in vitro o en modelos animales), artículos de opinión y manuscritos no revisados por pares. Métodos para la búsqueda e identificación de la evidencia: Los estudios fueron identificados a partir de las siguientes fuentes: Plataforma Living Overview of the Evidence (L·OVE) de la Fundación Epistemonikos (https://www.epistemonikos.org/en/), búsqueda al 10 de enero de 2022. Bases de datos electrónicas: MEDLINE/Pubmed, Embase y Cochrane Library (búsqueda al 10 de enero de 2022). Páginas web institucionales de los ministerios de salud de otros países (búsqueda al 10 de enero de 2022). Este informe constituye un reporte breve, la selección y extracción de los datos fue realizada por un solo revisor y no se efectuó una evaluación de riesgo de sesgo de los estudios identificados. RESULTADOS: No se encontraron revisiones sistemáticas, ECA o estudios clínicos que evalúen el efecto de la reducción del tiempo de aislamiento de los casos confirmados de COVID-19 sobre la transmisión del SARS-CoV-2. En cambio, se encontró una publicación que evaluó el efecto de la reducción del aislamiento sobre la transmisión del SARS- CoV-2, a través de simulaciones estadísticas. La población consistió en datos simulados de personas infectadas por SARS-CoV-2; la intervención que se evaluó fue la evaluación diagnóstica con pruebas moleculares (RT-PCR) y antigénicas (ambas pruebas fueron analizadas con diferentes niveles de sensibilidad), así como la cuarentena (con escenarios de 14 días o menos). Los desenlaces fueron la transmisibilidad del SARS-CoV-2, medido a través del riesgo de transmisión residual postcuarentena (PQTR, por sus siglas en inglés). Uno de los supuestos asumidos en el modelo fue que el número reproductivo R0 tiene una distribución normal con media de 2.10. Los resultados de las simulaciones mostraron que la evaluación diagnóstica disminuye significativamente el PQTR. En el caso de personas que se realizan una prueba molecular con una sensibilidad de 95% antes de salir de la cuarentena de 14 días, el PQTR disminuye de 0.12% a 0.006%. En cambio, el PQTR disminuye a 0.09% con una cuarentena de 10 días y con prueba molecular antes de salida. El estudio menciona también que las cuarentenas deben prolongarse si las pruebas diagnósticas tienen menor sensibilidad; por ejemplo, con una prueba diagnóstica con una sensibilidad de 80%, se necesitará de una cuarentena de 11 días. Aunque se realizaron numerosas y repetidas simulaciones sistemáticas para evaluar la efectividad de las medidas sanitarias, una limitación del estudio consiste en la modelación estadística que no contempla interacciones sociales no aleatorias. CONCLUSIONES: El objetivo de la nota técnica fue sintetizar información sobre el efecto de la disminución del periodo de aislamiento en casos confirmados de COVID-19 sobre la transmisibilidad del SARS-CoV-2. No se encontraron estudios clínicos, ECA o revisiones sistemáticas que hayan evaluado el efecto de la disminución del periodo de aislamiento sobre la transmisibilidad del SARS-CoV-2. Se encontró un modelo estadístico que mostró que el riesgo de transmisión residual postcuarentena se reduce de 0.12% a 0.006% con una cuarentena de 14 días y se reduce a 0.09% con una cuarentena de 10 días, cuando se realiza una prueba diagnóstica (prueba molecular con sensibilidad mayor de 95%) antes de la salida de la cuarentena. Las cuarentenas se pueden prolongar cuando las pruebas diagnósticas tienen menor sensibilidad. El Sistema Nacional de Salud del Reino Unido recomienda un periodo de cuarentena por 10 días completos para los casos confirmados de COVID-19 y las personas que estuvieron en contacto cercano. Si hay inicio de síntomas durante la cuarentena, se cuentan 10 días adicionales desde el día de inicio de síntomas. El CDC de Estados Unidos establece el aislamiento para casos confirmados de COVID-19, independientemente de presencia de sintomatología o estado de vacunación. El aislamiento dura 5 días completos (día cero es el día de diagnóstico y el día 1 es el primer día de aislamiento), si no hay síntomas durante este periodo. Luego la persona debe usar una mascarilla bien ajustada por otros 5 días cuando esté cerca de otras personas, tanto dentro como fuera del domicilio. Si los síntomas no se resuelven, el aislamiento persiste hasta el día que la persona no tiene fiebre durante 24 horas sin usar antipiréticos. Los países de Europa como España, Portugal, Francia redujeron sus periodos de cuarentena a 7 días. En Alemania la cuarentena se reduce hasta 10 días y se puede disminuir hasta 7 días, si hay una prueba molecular o de antígenos negativa. Los países de América Latina como Argentina y Colombia disminuyeron el periodo de cuarentena a 7 días.

Operation and management of a community treatment center using telemedicine for foreign patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms.

ABSTRACT: South Korean studies on coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) treatment have described the use of community treatment centers (CTCs), which combine elements of the home and hospital, to isolate and treat mild COVID-19 patients. While the number of South Koreans diagnosed with COVID-19 cases has varied greatly by season, the number of confirmed cases in foreign nationals has shown no seasonality, with an average of around 25 to 30 per day. For foreign patients, accommodation arrangements and travel routes may be difficult; they may also have difficulty accessing medical care, so require careful management.We discuss our experience in operating and managing a CTC for foreign COVID-19 patients arriving in South Korea with mild symptoms. We also propose guidelines for efficient use of resources with respect to treating these patients in CTCs.We present the clinical findings of patients treated at the CTC between 7 October and 22 November 2020, and make some recommendations. We quarantined and treated foreign patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19 at the Ansan CTC. Discharge is determined based on clinical symptoms rather than polymerase chain reaction results. Medical and administrative staff use building A, while building B is used for isolating patients. Medical rounds are in the form of twice-daily video calls. Three kinds of foods with medication are served according to the patient's country of origin.In total, 315 patients were admitted to the Ansan CTC between 7 October and 22 November 2020; 145 of them were discharged from the CTC and 26 were transferred to other hospitals.To utilize medical resources efficiently during the pandemic, it is desirable to reserve CTCs exclusively for foreign patients.

Brain structure and function in people recovering from COVID-19 after hospital discharge or self-isolation: a longitudinal observational study protocol.

BACKGROUND: The detailed extent of neuroinvasion or deleterious brain changes resulting from COVID-19 and their time courses remain to be determined in relation to "long-haul" COVID-19 symptoms. Our objective is to determine whether there are alterations in functional brain imaging measures among people with COVID-19 after hospital discharge or self-isolation. METHODS: This paper describes a protocol for NeuroCOVID-19, a longitudinal observational study of adults aged 20-75 years at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Ontario, that began in April 2020. We aim to recruit 240 adults, 60 per group: people who contracted COVID-19 and were admitted to hospital (group 1), people who contracted COVID-19 and self-isolated (group 2), people who experienced influenza-like symptoms at acute presentation but tested negative for COVID-19 and self-isolated (group 3, control) and healthy people (group 4, control). Participants are excluded based on premorbid neurologic or severe psychiatric illness, unstable cardiovascular disease, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contraindications. Initial and 3-month follow-up assessments include multiparametric brain MRI and electroencephalography. Sensation and cognition are assessed alongside neuropsychiatric assessments and symptom self-reports. We will test the data from the initial and follow-up assessments for group differences based on 3 outcome measures: MRI cerebral blood flow, MRI resting state fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and electroencephalography spectral power. INTERPRETATION: If neurophysiologic alterations are detected in the COVID-19 groups in our NeuroCOVID-19 study, this information could inform future research regarding interventions for long-haul COVID-19. The study results will be disseminated to scientists, clinicians and COVID-19 survivors, as well as the public and private sectors to provide context on how brain measures relate to lingering symptoms.

On the relation between COVID-19, mobility, and the stock market.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought forth a major landscape shock in the mobility sector. Due to its recentness, researchers have just started studying and understanding the implications of this crisis on mobility. We contribute by combining mobility data from various sources to bring a novel angle to understanding mobility patterns during Covid-19. The goal is to expose relations between mobility and Covid-19 variables and understand them by using our data. This is crucial information for governments to understand and address the underlying root causes of the impact.

Seclusion in an enriched environment versus seclusion as usual: A quasi-experimental study using mixed methods.

BACKGROUND: For patients, seclusion during psychiatric treatment is often a traumatic experience. To prevent such experiences, adjustments in the design of seclusion rooms have been recommended. METHODS: As there have been no empirical studies on the matter, we used a quasi-experimental design to compare the experiences in seclusion of two groups of patients: 26 who had been secluded in a room designed according to the principles of healing environment, a so called 'Enriched Environment Seclusion room' (EES), and 27 who had been secluded in a regular seclusion (RS) room. The enrichment included audio-visual facilities, a fixed toilet, a couch and a self-service system to adjust light, colour, blinds and temperature according to the patient's preferences. Insight into their experiences was obtained using the Patient View-of-Seclusion Questionnaire, which comprises nine statements on seclusion, supplemented with open-ended questions. RESULTS: The responses regarding seclusion experiences between the two groups did not differ significantly (U = 280.00, p = .21, r = -.17). Although those who had been secluded in the specially designed room had greatly appreciated the opportunities for distraction, and those who had been secluded in a regular seclusion room expressed the need for more distracting activities during seclusion, both groups described seclusion as a dreadful experience. If seclusion cannot be avoided, patients recommend facilities for distraction (such as those provided in an enriched environment seclusion room) to be available. CONCLUSION: Whatever the physical environment and facilities of a seclusion room, we may thus conclude that seclusion is a burdensome experience.

Black Fungus Complicated with COVID-19 in a Man with Underlying Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

COVID-19 is a disease reported to suppress cellular immunity. This may lead to the development of opportunistic infections, among others black fungus, or mucormycosis. On the other hand, pre-existing defect in immunity may render patients susceptible to both mucormycosis and COVID-19. Mucormycosis is a relatively rare fungal infection with rapid progression unless diagnosed promptly and treated adequately, and urgent surgical and medical intervention is lifesaving. The manifestation of mucormycosis largely depends on the presence of exposure to the pathogen and the existing risk factor of the host. As black fungus is locally invasive, the majority of cases will involve tissue damage with local destruction and contiguous spread to nearby structure. We here with present a case of black fungus complicated with COVID-19 in a man with underlying non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Prevention and control strategies for the post-pandemic era: finding a balance between COVID-19 and reviving medical service.

INTRODUCTION: Public life in China is gradually returning to normal with strong measures in coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) control. Because of the long-term effects of COVID-19, medical institutions had to make timely adjustments to control policies and priorities to balance between COVID-19 prevention and daily medical services. METHODOLOGY: The framework for infection prevention and control in the inpatient department was effectively organized at both hospital and department levels. A series of prevention and control strategies was implemented under this leadership: application of rigorous risk assessment and triage before admission through a query list; classifying patients into three risk levels and providing corresponding medical treatment and emergency handling; establishing new ward visiting criteria for visitors; designing procedures for PPE and stockpile management; executing specialized disinfection and medical waste policies. RESULTS: Till June 2020, the bed occupancy had recovered from 20.0% to 88.1%. In total, 13045 patients were received in our hospital, of which 54 and 127 patients were identified as high-risk and medium-risk, respectively, and 2 patients in the high-risk group were eventually laboratory-confirmed with COVID-19. No hospital-acquired infection of COVID-19 has been observed since the emergency appeared. CONCLUSIONS: The strategies ensured early detection and targeted prevention of COVID-19 following the COVID-19 pandemic, which improved the recovery of medical services after the pandemic.

Effective use of an advanced isolation unit during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective cohort study.

We described a strategy for preventing virus transmission within hospitals through screening and advanced isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. Patients were screened and admitted to the adult advanced isolation unit from February to April 2020. Our process minimized exposure without delaying proper treatment and prevented virus transmission within the hospital.

Revisiting the guidelines for ending isolation for COVID-19 patients.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, two mainstream guidelines for defining when to end the isolation of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals have been in use: the one-size-fits-all approach (i.e. patients are isolated for a fixed number of days) and the personalized approach (i.e. based on repeated testing of isolated patients). We use a mathematical framework to model within-host viral dynamics and test different criteria for ending isolation. By considering a fixed time of 10 days since symptom onset as the criterion for ending isolation, we estimated that the risk of releasing an individual who is still infectious is low (0-6.6%). However, this policy entails lengthy unnecessary isolations (4.8-8.3 days). In contrast, by using a personalized strategy, similar low risks can be reached with shorter prolonged isolations. The obtained findings provide a scientific rationale for policies on ending the isolation of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals.

Telemedicine Implementation in COVID-19 ICU: Balancing Physical and Virtual Forms of Visibility.

OBJECTIVE: This case study examines the implementation of inpatient telemedicine in COVID-19 intensive care units (ICUs) and explores the impact of shifting forms of visibility on the management of the unit, staff collaboration, and patient care. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 crisis drove healthcare institutions to rapidly develop new models of care based on integrating digital technologies for remote care with transformations in the hospital-built environment. The Sheba Medical Center in Israel created COVID-19 ICUs in an underground structure with an open-ward layout and telemedicine control rooms to remotely supervise, communicate, and support the operations in the contaminated zones. One unit had a physical visual connection between the control room and the contaminated zone through a window, while the other had only a virtual connection with digital technologies. METHODS: The findings are based on semistructured interviews with Sheba medical staff, telemedicine companies, and the architectural design team and observations at the COVID-19 units during March-August 2020. RESULTS: The case study illustrates the implications of virtual and physical visibility on the management of the unit, staff collaboration, and patient care. It demonstrates the correlations between patterns of visibility and the users' sense of control, orientation in space, teamwork, safety, quality of care, and well-being. CONCLUSIONS: The case study demonstrates the limitations of current telemedicine technologies that were not designed for inpatient care to account for the spatial perception of the unit and the dynamic use of the space. It presents the potential of a hybrid model that balances virtual and physical forms of visibility and suggests directions for future research and development of inpatient telemedicine.

COVID-19 Cross-Infection Rate After Surgical Procedures: Incidence and Outcome.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) is transmitted by droplet as well as airborne infection. Surgical patients are vulnerable to the infection during their hospital admission. Some surgical procedures are classified as aerosol generating (AGP). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational study of four specialties associates with known AGP's during the 4 months of the first wave of UK COVID-19 epidermic to identify post-surgical cross-infection with SARSCoV-2 within 14 days of a procedure. METHODS: Retrospective observational study in a tertiary healthcare center of four specialties associates with known AGP's during the 4 months of the first wave of UK COVID-19 epidermic to identify post-surgical cross-infection with SARSCoV-2 within 14 days of a procedure. RESULTS: There were 3,410 procedures reported during this period. The overall cross-infection rate from tested patients was 1.3% (4 patients), that is, 0.11% of all operations over 4 months. Ear, nose, and throat carried slightly higher rate of infection (0.4%) than gastroenterology (0.08%). The mortality rate was 0.3% (one gastroenterology patient from 304 positive cases) compared to 0% if surgery performed after recovery from SARSCoV-2 and 37.5% when surgery was conducted during the incubation period of the disease. Routine preoperative rapid screening tests and self-isolation are crucial to avoid the risk of cross-infection. Patients with underlying malignancy or receiving chemotherapy were more prone to pulmonary complications and mortality. CONCLUSION: The risk of SARS-COV-2 cross-infection after surgical procedure is very low. Preoperative screening and self-isolation together with personal protective measures should be in place to minimize the cross-infection. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E2749-E2754, 2021.

Impact of the first lockdown for coronavirus 19 on breast cancer management in France: A multicentre survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the impact of lockdown for SARS-CoV-2 on breast cancer management via an online survey in a French multicentre setting. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a multicentre retrospective study, over the strict lockdown period from March 16th to May 11th, 2020 in metropolitan France. 20 centres were solicited, of which 12 responded to the survey. RESULTS: 50% of the centres increased their surgical activity, 33% decreased it and 17% did not change it during containment. Some centres had to cancel (17%) or postpone (33%) patient-requested interventions due to fear of SARS-CoV-2. Four and 6 centres (33% and 50%) respectively cancelled and postponed interventions for medical reasons. In the usual period, 83% of the centres perform their conservative surgeries on an outpatient basis, otherwise the length of hospital stay was 24 to 48 h. All the centres except one performed conservative surgery on an outpatient basis during the lockdown period, for which. 8% performed mastectomies on an outpatient basis during the usual period. During lockdown, 50% of the centres reduced their hospitalization duration (25% outpatient /25% early discharge on Day 1). CONCLUSION: This study explored possibilities for management during the first pandemic lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic required a total reorganization of the healthcare system, including the care pathways for cancer patients.

Use of alternative care sites during the COVID-19 pandemic in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

OBJECTIVES: In large cities, where a large proportion of the population live in poverty and overcrowding, orders to stay home to comply with isolation requirements are difficult to fulfil. In this article, the use of alternative care sites (ACSs) for the isolation of patients with confirmed COVID-19 or persons under investigation (PUI) in the City of Buenos Aires during the first wave of COVID-19 are described. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study. METHODS: All patients with COVID-19 and PUI with insufficient housing resources who could not comply with orders to stay home and who were considered at low clinical risk in the initial triage were referred to refurbished hotels in the City of Buenos Aires (Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires [CABA]). ACSs were divided into those for confirmed COVID-19 patients and those for PUI. RESULTS: From March to August 2020, there were 58,143 reported cases of COVID-19 (13,829 of whom lived in slums) in the CABA. For COVID-19 positive cases, 62.1% (n = 8587) of those living in slums and 21.4% (n = 9498) of those living outside the slums were housed in an ACS. In total, 31.1% (n = 18,085) of confirmed COVID-19 cases were housed in ACSs. In addition, 7728 PUI were housed (3178 from the slums) in an ACS. The average length of stay was 9.0 ± 2.5 days for patients with COVID-19 and 1.6 ± 0.7 days for PUI. For the individuals who were housed in an ACS, 1314 (5.1%) had to be hospitalised, 56 were in critical care units (0.22%) and there were 27 deaths (0.1%), none during their stay in an ACS. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, about one-third of all people with COVID-19 were referred to an ACS in the CABA. For slum dwellers, the proportion was >60%. The need for hospitalisation was low and severe clinical events were rare. This strategy reduced the pressure on hospitals so their efforts could be directed to patients with moderate-to-severe disease.

Prevention and control measures of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in low-risk departments: The spine surgery department example.

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads globally, hospital departments will need take steps to manage their treatment procedures and wards. The preparations of high-risk departments (infection, respiratory, emergency, and intensive care unit) were relatively well within this pandemic, while low-risk departments may be unprepared. The spine surgery department in The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University in Hefei, China, was used as an example in this study. The spine surgery department took measures to manage the patients, medical staff and wards to avoid the cross-infection within hospital. During the outbreak, no patients or healthcare workers were infected, and no treatment was delayed due to these measures. The prevention and control measures effectively reduced the risk of nosocomial transmission between health workers and patients while providing optimum care. It was a feasible management approach that was applicable to most low-risk and even high-risk departments.