NYC DOHMH Alert #6 - COVID-19 Updates for New York City

NYC DOHMH has released Alert #6 with additional clear information for providers. Here are the highlights:

The number of persons diagnosed with COVID-19 in New Yorker continues to rise.

• Of cases where source of exposure was known (n=56), only 7 (13%) were known to have exposure outside NYC, confirming community-wide transmission

• 60% of hospitalized cases were admitted to the ICU, 1 death reported

Several commercial and hospital-based testing options for COVID-19 are now available

New York City Public Health Laboratory (PHL) will now only accept nasopharyngeal

(NP) and oropharyngeal (OP) swabs packaged in the SAME viral transport medium (VTM) collection tube; lower respiratory tract specimens (sputum) can also be submitted

MINIMIZE EXPOSURES TO THE PUBLIC, VULNERABLE PATIENTS AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS

• Advise patients with mild respiratory illness to STAY HOME; testing is not indicated for mildly ill or asymptomatic persons

• This will minimize possible exposures to healthcare workers, patients and the public and reduce the demand for personal protective equipment

WE MUST PRESERVE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SUPPLIES

• Use standard, contact, droplet precautions, and eye protection when caring for patients who are confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19

Healthcare facilities should plan now for enhanced surge capacity

The Provider Access Line (PAL) is intended to receive calls only from healthcare providers. Do not share this number with the public.

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