CALHN staff are to follow the CALHN management of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) policy PRC05409 –COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) - Management Guide, available from eCentral.
Contact tracing
Updated information: 18 November 2024
- For outbreak management (2 or more linked cases), including in areas where there are shared facilities/group therapies refer to the above Contact Tracing & Outbreak Management guide (above)
- In the event of increased hospital acquisitions of COVID 19, IPCU may implement more intense screening protocols
- If a patient tests positive for COVID-19 in a bay, and the close contacts cannot be moved out into alternate accommodation, that bed space should not be filled until after ERP is lifted for the close contacts (day 3 negative PCR)
- If the source of the positive COVID-19 case is unknown, perform RAT on all patients in that ward/area. Ongoing RAT may be required. Contact IPCU for the duration of testing.
Management of COVID-19 positive cases
- COVID-19 positive patient placement | 22 December 2023
Surgery
- CALHN COVID-19 risk stratification for Tech Suite workflow RAH | 31 May 2024
- CALHN COVID-19 risk stratification for TQEH theatre – EMERGENCY | 31 May 2024
Allied Health COVID-19 guidelines
- Hydrotherapy COVID-19 Safety Guidelines | 23 November 2023
- Inpatient HRC Therapy COVID-19 Safety | 23 November 2023
- Outpatient Allied Health Group sessions - COVID-19 | 23 November 2023
CALHN COVID-19 testing and clearance flowcharts
Updated COVID-19 ERP Clearance and Testing requirements | 18 November 2024
Patients presenting for an inpatient admission require a RAT on arrival as part of the admission process. Alternate day testing can now cease.
Any patient within the Emergency Department at RAH or TQEH pending admission and awaiting bed placement, must have a RAT undertaken and documented.
Routine RAT is not required preoperatively or pre-procedure or prior to outpatient clinic presentations/allied health sessions.
Perform and document a RAT for any patient PRIOR to transfer between:
- Mental health units/wards e.g., step down from PICU to acute or TQEH to GLN.
- CALHN facilities e.g., from TQEH to RAH.
- Acute and Rehabilitation facilities e.g., from TQEH to TQEH Rehab, or from RAH to HRC.
- Where a patient has arrived at a new location without a documented RAT, the receiving location must perform and document a RAT as part of the admission process.
ID/IPCU will communicate via CALHN Comms and the IPCU Bulletin if increased testing is required (alternate day RAT) for ALL AREAS based on increased cases of COVID-19 in the community/within staff populations as per p.1 in the Testing and Clearance Flow Charts.
Clearance
- Assess on Day 7. Day 0 is day of positive test
- Fever has resolved for >72hrs
- Patient is not severely immunosuppressed or in ICU (see pgs. 2 and 4)
- Respiratory symptoms have fully resolved (day 7)
- Patients meeting these criteria can be cleared and released from isolation (at 23:59 hours on day 7). Document clearance criteria met in EMR
- No screen is necessary at the receiving sites as part of the Intra-CALHN patient transfer process if transferring within 35 days of the positive result (refer to page 3).
Contact IPCU
If you have any questions, contact the Infection Prevention and Control Unit.
Email: Health.CALHNInfectionPreventionandControlUnit@sa.gov.au
Phone: 7074 2793