Health Ministry Issues Standard Operating Protocol To Contain Spread Of Coronavirus In Offices

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Thursday (June 4) issued a Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) on preventive measures to contain the spread of coronavirus in offices. Persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, and pregnant women have been advised to stay at home, except for essential and health purposes. The office management would facilitate the process, said the Ministry. It said that offices in containment zones will remain closed except for medical and essential services. Only those outside containment zones will be allowed to open up.

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Besides listing the basic etiquette that needs to be followed to contain the spread of coronavirus, the Ministry has given a series of guidelines in case a coronavirus case occurs and the disinfection procedures that need to be followed.

As per the SOP, when one or a few persons who share a room/close office space is/are found to be suffering from symptoms suggestive of COVID-19:

a. Place the ill person in a room or area where they are isolated from others at the workplace. Provide a mask/face cover till such time he/she is examined by a doctor.

b. Immediately inform the nearest medical facility — hospital/clinic — or call the state or district helpline.

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c. A risk assessment will be undertaken by the designated public health authority — District RRT/Treating physician — and accordingly further advice shall be made regarding the management of the case, his/her contacts and need for disinfection.

d. The suspect case if reporting very mild/mild symptoms on the assessment by the health authorities would be placed under home isolation.

e. Suspect case, if assessed by health authorities as moderate to severe, will be treated as per health protocol at an appropriate health facility.

f. The rapid response team of the concerned district shall be requisitioned and will undertake the listing of contacts.

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g. The necessary actions for contact tracing and disinfection of the workplace will start once the report of the patient is received as positive. The report will be expedited for this purpose.

However, if there are large numbers of contacts from a pre-symptomatic/asymptomatic case, the essential principles of risk assessment, isolation, and quarantine of contacts, case referral, and management will remain the same. The scale of arrangements will be higher, added the Ministry.

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