NJAASC has curated authoritative information and a list of resources for our Membership’s reference. We will continue to update this as more information becomes available.
PAST COVID E-BLAST HAVE BEEN ARCHIVED DUE TO SPACE RESTRAINTS AND TO KEEP THINGS CURRENT.
(CORRECTED #1) REPORTING QUESTIONS AND ISSUES
I have several questions that need clarification; Please help:
- If an employee tests positive via a PCR test, does the center have to report it to the local health department. Who does the contact tracing at the facility.
- If a patient tests positive via a rapid test at the center, who notifies the health department?
- If a patient is exposed to a positive employee at the facility, who is to be notified by the center?
Whoever performs testing is required to report results to public health. This is supposed to happen via CDRSS (and facilities should request training/onboarding to CDRSS), but we realize that onboarding to CDRSS can be slow. In the meantime, DOH is building a stripped down/simplified reporting tool that we hope to have available to providers shortly. Until this happens (and if the provider is not enrolled in CDRSS), positive results at least should be reported to the local health department (LHD). The LHD is also who would help with any needed contact tracing. Most typically facility would notify potentially exposed patients (both patients and facility usually prefer that notification come from the facility), but the LHD is always the resource who can help with any issues..
Edward Lifshitz, MD, FACP
Medical Director
Infectious and Zoonotic Disease Program
Communicable Disease Service
I'm adding CDS, we are building a reporting tool, ASCs may be good candidates. for the reporting at the moment, local health departments and they will then trigger contact tracing. but will leave to CDS to confirm steps. thanks
Marcela Ospina Maziarz, MPA
Deputy Commissioner
New Jersey Department of Health
609-376-0960
POOLING OF RESULTS BY LABS
Is there any guidance as regards pooling
- We've started seeing patient Covid results obtained under a pooling method. I assume its ok as far as the NJDOH is concerned given testing demand? How on earth are we to know whether a lab (Quest, in this particular case), is doing pooling vs. testing samples individually.
It is fine to accept results obtained from pooling methods - any lab employing methods for pooling should have obtained an EUA from FDA. As %positivity increases, pooling will become less popular (as labs will have to re-test many more “pools”).
Thomas Kirn
New Jersey Department of Health
BILL WOULD MANDATE ASCs and OTHERS TO REPORT STAFF COVID POSITIVE
This bill would mandate that staff COVID outbreaks must be reported- public disclosure.
This includes ASCs, even though the reporter does not mention us!
This bill has stalled in Assembly since July (it passed the Senate 40-0), has not been put up for a full vote.
The Hospital Association just came out in support of this, and the Governor supports it as well.
