CDC Updates Infection Prevention &
Control Guidance for Healthcare Settings
A brief summary of the key information about the updates is provided below, but you should refer to the full guidance documents for exact recommendations. Updates include:
- Updated source control recommendations to address limited situations for healthcare facilities in counties with low to moderate community transmission where select fully vaccinated individuals could choose not to wear source control. However, in general, the safest practice is for everyone in a healthcare setting to wear source control.
- Updated quarantine recommendations for fully vaccinated patients who have had close contact with someone with SARS-CoV-2 infection to more closely align with recommendations for the community.
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Clarified the recommended intervals for testing asymptomatic HCP with a higher-risk exposure and patients with close contact with someone with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Added content from previously posted CDC guidance addressing:
- recommendations for fully vaccinated HCP, patients, and visitors
- SARS-CoV-2 testing
- duration of Transmission-Based Precautions for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection
- specialized healthcare settings (e.g., dental, dialysis, EMS)
In addition, the CDC updated several other areas of its recommendations.
A brief summary is provided below, but please refer to the full guidance documents for exact recommendations. Key information about these updates include:
Healthcare providers in nursing homes should continue to follow the core infection prevention and control practices for nursing homes during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic as outlined in the recommendations specific to nursing homes and outlined in the primary infection prevention and control guidance as well as the guidance for risk assessment and work restrictions for healthcare personnel.
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Screening testing for healthcare personnel in nursing homes is now associated with community transmission level instead of test positivity.
- During an outbreak response in nursing homes, options for more targeted contact tracing have been added.
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In general, assisted living communities should follow the guidance for Retirement Communities and Independent Living. However, in circumstances when healthcare is being delivered (e.g., by home health agency, staff providing care for a resident with SARS-CoV-2 infection), assisted living communities should follow the IPC recommendations in this guidance.
- The CDC continues to recommend having a process to identify healthcare personnel, patients, and visitors with symptoms or exposure to SARS-CoV-2 prior to entering a facility.
- The CDC continues to recommend source control for everyone in a healthcare setting, and has clarified recommendations for healthcare personnel, patients, and visitors, to better align with community guidance. This includes a few limited circumstances where fully vaccinated individuals in counties with low to moderate community transmission could choose not to wear source control.
- There are no changes to the PPE recommended for the care of patients with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Quarantine is no longer recommended for fully vaccinated patients with exposure to SARS-CoV-2 or those patients who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection in the prior 90 days.
- The timing of SARS-CoV-2 testing after higher-risk exposure for healthcare personnel and close contact for patients has been clarified.
- There are no changes to the guidance for managing healthcare personnel with SARS-CoV-2 infection (return to work guidance) or exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (risk assessment guidance), including the definition of “higher-risk exposure.”
