Information for Hospitals & Healthcare Professionals

DSHS has compiled the following resources to assist hospitals and healthcare professionals in their planning and response to COVID‑19.

On this page:

• Influenza & COVID-19
• Requests for Assistance from DSHS (PPE, etc.)
• Evaluating Patients
• Recent Developments in Treatment & Products
• Preparedness Tools
• Isolation Precautions for COVID-19
• Hospital Reporting Requirements
• Resources for Pharmacies
• Resuming Elective Procedures
• Resources for Nursing Homes & Long Term Care
• Infection Control
• Postmortem Guidance
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Laboratory Testing

• Influenza & COVID-19
• Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) — United States, 2020–21 (CDC MMWR)
• COCA Webinar: 2020-2021 Influenza Vaccination Recommendations and Clinical Guidance during the COVID-19 Pandemic
• CDC Flu FAQs: Administering Flu Vaccines during the COVID-19 Pandemic
• CDC Vaccination Guidance During a Pandemic, 2020-2021
• CDC Guidance for Planning Vaccination Clinics
• Multiplex Assays for Detection of Influenza Viruses and SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
• Influenza Antiviral Medications: Summary for Clinicians (CDC)
• Communicating the Benefits of Seasonal Influenza Vaccine during COVID-19 (IAC)
• Preparing for Fall: Back to School and Influenza Season Podcast (ASTHO)
• Evaluating Patients
• Phone Advice Line Tools (CDC)
• Evaluating and Testing Persons for COVID‑19 (CDC)
• CDC Information for Pediatric Healthcare Providers (includes information about Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C))
• Preparedness Tools
• Preparing Outpatient and Ambulatory Care Centers for COVID-19 (CDC)
• Training for Healthcare Professionals (CDC)
• Mitigate Healthcare Personnel Staffing Shortages (CDC)
• Healthcare Personnel Preparedness Checklist (CDC)
• Hospital Preparedness Tool (CDC)
• Hospital Reporting Requirements
  On March 24, 2020, Gov. Abbott issued an Executive Order relating to daily reporting during the COVID‑19 disaster. For more information, see the following:
• COVID‑19 Texas Hospital Reporting Requirements (PDF, V.3.0, updated 8/07/2020)
• COVID-19 Hospital Bed Reporting Data Dictionary (PDF, V.3.0, updated 8/07/2020)
• Texas Hospital Reporting Certification Letter from HHS
• Resuming Elective Procedures
  On September 17, 2020, Gov. Abbott issued Executive Order GA-31, relating to hospital capacity during the COVID-19 disaster and the suspension of elective surgeries and procedures in areas with high COVID-19 hospitalizations. For details, see the Executive Orders GA-30 and GA-31 page of this site.
  
  
• Infection Control
• What Healthcare Personnel Should Know about Caring for Patients with Confirmed or Possible COVID‑19 Infection (CDC)
• COVID-19 Infection Control (CDC)
• Strategies to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF) (CDC)
• Interim Additional Guidance for Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 in Outpatient Hemodialysis Facilities (CDC)
• Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings (CDC)
• Care for Breastfeeding Women (CDC)
• Disinfecting Your Facility if Someone is Sick (CDC)
• TCEQ Guidance on Disposal of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Contaminated Waste
• DSHS COVID-19 Guidance for Public Health Home Service Providers (ENGLISH) (PDF, V.5.0, updated 8/15/2020)
• DSHS COVID-19 Guidance for Public Health Home Service Providers (SPANISH) (PDF, V.5.0, updated 8/27/2020)
• COVID-19—Fighting Products (Center for Biocide Chemistries)
• EPA-Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19 (EPA)
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of PPE (CDC)
• PPE Burn Rate Calculator (CDC)
• CDC Information about Decontamination of PPE
• How to properly don (put on), use, and doff (remove) PPE (CDC)
• Strategies for Best N95 Respirator Fit in Times of Crisis (CDC)
• Fit Testing During Emerging Infectious Disease Outbreaks (CDC)
• Considerations for Release of Stockpiled N95s Beyond the Manufacturer-Designated Shelf Life (CDC)
• FDA Information on PPE for Infection Control
• Requests for Assistance from DSHS (PPE, etc.)
  Hospitals and healthcare professionals should follow their normal process of trying to locate emergency medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other healthcare resources with their regular vendors and exhaust all possible options. These options may include contacting any sister facilities for coordination, reaching out to local partners or stakeholders, looking at any possible reallocations within the Public Health Region, Healthcare Coalition, Regional Advisory Council regions, or other medical supply agencies, given established priority groups. If hospitals and healthcare professionals cannot obtain any PPE from their vendor(s) and have exhausted all alternative options, they should send their official requests to their local office of emergency management via the State of Texas Assistance Request (STAR) process. Please ensure you provide all relevant details for your request, to include type of item, POC information, and delivery address.
  
  
• Recent Developments in COVID-19 Treatment & Products
• NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines
• Stanford Medicine’s Research on PPE Decontamination
• Minnesota Department of Health Guidance on Alternative Facemasks
• Optimizing Ventilator Use during COVID-19 (U.S. Health and Human Services)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorizations
• Nebraska Medicine’s Protocol for UV Decontamination of N95 Respirators
• CDC Information for Clinicians on Therapeutic Options for COVID-19 Patients
• Isolation Precautions for COVID-19
• Discontinuation of Isolation for Persons with COVID-19 Not in Healthcare Settings (CDC)
• Duration of Isolation and Precautions for Adults with COVID-19 (CDC)
• CDC Interim Guidance on Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Disposition of Patients in Healthcare Settings
• CDC Interim Guidance on Criteria for Return to Work for Healthcare Personnel with Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19
• Resources for Pharmacies
• Strategies for Managing Pseudoephedrine Purchases during the COVID-19 Disaster Declaration (PDF, V.1.0, posted 4/15/2020)
• Considerations for Pharmacies during the COVID-19 Pandemic (CDC)
• Resources for Nursing Homes & Long Term Care Facilities
• Interim Guidance for Rapid Antigen Testing (CDC)
• Considerations for Antigen Testing in Nursing Homes (CDC)
• DSHS COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facility Line List Template (XLSX, V.1.0, released 4/10/2020)
• DSHS COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facility Staff Symptom Monitoring Log (XLSX, V.1.0, released 4/10/2020)
• Information about COVID-19 for Nursing Facilities/Long-term Care Facilities (HHSC)
• Postmortem Guidance
• Collection and Submission of Postmortem Specimens (CDC)
• Laboratory Testing
  • Guidance for Healthcare Workers about COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Testing (CDC)
  • Interim Guidance for Rapid Antigen Testing (CDC)
  • How to Report COVID-19 Laboratory Data (CDC)
  • Overview of Testing for SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
  • Interim Guidelines for Collecting, Handling, and Testing Clinical Specimens from Persons for COVID‑19 (CDC)
  • DSHS Laboratory:
  • ALL specimens for COVID-19 testing require preapproval. Contact your Local Health Department or DSHS Public Health Region to ensure patient meets the criteria for testing and to obtain approval to test. Please DO NOT ship specimens prior to receiving this approval.
  • See the DSHS Laboratory Services site for details on specimen collection and shipping and updates from the DSHS Austin Laboratory.
  • COVID‑19 and Newborn Screening: During this time of extraordinary challenge, the DSHS Newborn Screening (NBS) Program appreciates the dedication and commitment of healthcare providers to ensure the best possible outcomes for Texas newborns. Please visit the DSHS Laboratory's COVID‑19 and Newborn Screening FAQs page for important information.

For disease reporting and/or local assistance, see the listing of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Local Health Entities.

Healthcare professionals can find additional guidance (including patient evaluation, reporting, testing, specimen collection, and prevention and control recommendations) on the CDC website:
CDC Guidance for Health Professionals

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