The Infection Control Expert Group (ICEG) and National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce have jointly agreed on updated recommendations to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19 infection.
The Department of Health said the ICEG’s update, Guidance on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers in the context of COVID-19, included advice on when to use face (surgical) masks, P2/N95 respirators and eye protection.
“The updated recommendations are the result of a significant body of work and reflect a balanced risk approach to protecting healthcare workers from COVID-19,” the Department said.
“ICEG has followed the emerging evidence and recognises the potential for transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via aerosols in specific circumstances,” it said.
The Department said ICEG first recommended the use of P2/N95 respirators for certain procedures performed on COVID-19 patients in March last year and its updated guidelines recognised broader circumstances in which there may be potential for aerosol transmission in clinical care.
It said ICEG advice recommended all healthcare workers should follow standard and transmission-based precautions as described in the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare (2021) and that workers providing direct patient care to, or working with, suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases should have access to P2/N95 respirators.
The Department said the Group also recommended healthcare workers who wear P2/N95 respirators should complete fit testing before first use and a fit (seal) check with each subsequent use; the choice between a P2/N95 respirator or surgical mask be based on an assessment of risk of transmission; P2/N95 respirators rather than face masks be used where assessment suggested a high risk of transmission; and eye protection be used as part of a set PPE when providing direct care to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases.
“The recommendations are not exhaustive, but instead aim to supplement more detailed guidance available at a State, Territory and institutional level,” the Department said.
In a joint statement, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly and Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan said the updated advice was for healthcare workers in all settings, including hotel quarantine, and was designed to supplement additional, detailed guidance available at the State, Territory and institutional levels.
The ICEG’s eight-page updated guidelines can be accessed on the Department of Health’s website at this PS News link and the 379-page Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare (2021) is available at this link.
