June 3, 2020

Dear Colleagues,   Please see updates below and please plan to attend grand rounds tomorrow. Grand rounds tomorrow is being given by the UNC Children’s COVID-19 squad. I hope each of you were able to listen and attend the Community Town Hall today that discussed the emotional toll associated with the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breona Taylor. The Town Hall was very powerful.

UNC COVID Updates

Inpatient Care The Pediatrics COVID-19 Resources page has been reorganized and additional process/workflow documents have been added. The additions were previously only on the HCS Children's Services COVID resources site. As we move forward any new pathway or process documents for COVID should be sent to Charlotte Weaver (mcweaver@med.unc.edu) to be added to the Pediatrics COVID-19 Resources page and the hospital site will link to the Pediatrics page to ensure both remain comprehensive and consistent.

Your COVID-19 Questions & Answers Response from Tom Belhorn Q: I often see hospital staff not wearing a mask in and out of the hospital and even in the hospital. This does not make sense if we are requiring patients / parents to all wear a mask. Is this the current policy – not needing to wear a mask?   A: There is not currently a mandate for hospital staff to wear a mask entering or exiting the hospital. The reason is when the individual extended mask policy first rolled out, masks were to be kept at your work area and there were not enough additional masks to be provided for employees to also wear outside the building. However, this will likely change very soon. With the change to daily mask use (new mask every day), there is a push to allow staff to wear this new mask out to their car at the end of your shift and then back in to your next shift where you receive a new mask. In addition to making sense from the infection prevention standpoint, this will provide a more consistent message and good role modeling to see all of us walking in and out (and through!) the hospital always wearing a mask. This is NOT a final policy yet, but I anticipate this will be the new directive – stay tuned for a revised mask policy.

New Universal Precautions Wear eye protection when patient not able to wear a mask  Updates to Universal Precautions, implemented on June 1 across UNC Health, include: Everyone must wear an earloop mask (patient, visitors, vendors, and all UNC Health staff and providers) When a patient is not able to wear a mask (e.g. patient with cognitive disabilities, etc.), staff must wear eye protection in addition to their own mask. Eye protection will also be available for use during all other patient interactions (direct contact within 6 feet).   Eye protection includes either a face shield, a face mask with attached face shield, or safety goggles or glasses that offer wraparound protection to the side of the eyes. Eye protection DOES NOT include standard prescription glasses (even with side shields), contact lenses, or plexiglass dividers.  Eye protection should be disinfected and reused:  Wipe eye protection with an EPA registered hospital disinfectant and let dry Rinse with water or alcohol if residue remains Replace if broken or no longer able to be cleaned. Orders for eye protection should be placed through normal supply chain processes. More entity-specific details will be shared in the coming days.  Aerosol generating procedures are performed with gown, respirator (N95 or CAPR), eye protection, and gloves.   Special Airborne/Contact Precautions will continue to apply to patients known to be infected with COVID-19 or for symptomatic patients under investigation for COVID-19.

Communicating with Kids about Race The world is a pretty scary place right now, for kids and adults. Talking to children, of any age, about current racial conflicts is important but getting started can be a challenge. Dr. Keisha Gibson recommends this site as a resource for online material, podcasts, as well as books for kids.

Your Kids Aren't Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource... Your kids aren't too young to talk about race. Here are a few resources to get your started. Read more www.prettygooddesign.org

REMINDER - COVID focused GRAND ROUNDS TOMORROW Severe Manifestations of COVID-19 in Children: Rare But Important Presented by Representatives from the UNC Children’s COVID-19 Squad: Yasmina Abajas, MD – Hematology-Oncology Jim Hagood, MD – Pulmonary Medicine Tim Vece, MD – Pulmonary Medicine Zachary Willis, MD – Infectious Diseases Eve Wu, MD – Rheumatology JOIN WEBEX MEETING Meeting number (access code): 733 697 457 Host key: 942362; Meeting password: xKFV55pD PLEASE MUTE YOUR MICROPHONE

Coach Brown continues support for UNC Children's through CV-19 #UNCChildrens #BeTheOne #ShowYouCare

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Please reach out if you need support during these difficult times. Gratefully,

sddavis@med.unc.edu 919-417-3130 (cell)