Covid-19 Prevention and Control

The strain of Coronavirus associated with COVID-19 Disease has led to a global public health problem, a pandemic. With special care, and attention to detail, COVID-19 Disease can be prevented. Prevention is possible at personal, community and occupational levels.

• When you arrive the hospital dress properly to receive all patients. This means you should have your surgical face mask, hand sanitizer and gloves near-by.
• Do not shake hands or hug people.
• Wear your surgical face mask when you see patients with cough, fever or malaise.
• Ensure that patients who are coughing, febrile or have malaise wear a surgical mask until they are isolated in a private hospital room or until they return to their home.

• All clients should enter from designated entry points with hand hygiene facilities and screening devices that should run 24/7
• All staff posted at entry points for the purpose of screening and triaging patients, as well as staff assigned to care for those with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 Disease should be vetted and approved by the Supervisor of Nursing Services or the Chief of Center for this role. Specifically, staff who have HIV Disease, those under treatment for Cancer, and staff who are receiving immunosuppressive therapy for any reason should not be given such an assignment. As much as possible, it is recommended that staff assigned to this “front line” role be less than 50 years of age.
• All individuals receiving patients should wear gloves and a facemask.
• Place sanitizers for clients to use at the entry points where temperatures are taken.
• Take the temperature of each client including care givers and visitors at point of entry
• Clients with higher than normal temperatures or cough should be given a mask to wear, before entry into the facility and should be separated and kept in a designated area where they can be seen promptly by clinician.
• Emphasize on hand hygiene: All health providers need to wash hands with soap and water for 40 to 60 seconds or by using alcohol hand rub before and after seeing each client.
• Emphasize on the use of gloves: Health care providers must wear disposable gloves in caring for all clients with potentially infectious material.
• For those special situations involving patient care activities in which contact with blood spatter, respiratory secretions, or other body fluids is anticipated, Health Care Providers should wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like gloves and masks. In these situations, a disposable gown (or plastic apron) and face shield (or goggles) should be worn by the Health Care Worker. This is in addition to the routine use of gloves and facemask (which are mandatory for all patient encounters).
• Wear gowns, mask and face shield or googles (personal protective equipment=PPE) Health care workers should wear PPE for all patient care activity in which contact with blood, respiratory secretions, or other body fluids are anticipated.
• Keep the environment clean: The health facility premises must be kept clean at all time.
• Put up posters and notices all over the health facility on COVID 19 to educate staff and clients
• Post a contact number for staff and clients to call in case of suspected cases.
• Put in place a system to rapidly transfer suspected cases to referral centers for testing and proper management.
• Place potable hand sanitizers at visible places for sale as need be
• Place a contact telephone number on several locations in the institution for staff and clients to call in case of a suspected case.
• Give information on the COVID 19 daily to clients and staff
• Avoid hand shake in all gatherings and meetings

• Quickly Identify, and isolate suspected cases until proven otherwise
• All health care workers should have PPE (at a minimum: Face Mask, Gloves, and a protective Vinyl or Plastic Apron) prior to entering a patient’s room, if the patient is suspected of having COVID-19 Disease.
• Limit number of healthcare workers, family members, and visitors in contact with patient with suspected COVID 19 infection. Only one caregiver allowed per patient.
• Maintain record of all persons entering patient’s room, if Covid19 is confirmed. This list may eventually be used for contact tracing physically or by telephone calls.
• Maintain environmental cleanliness and disinfect surfaces promptly with 0.5% chlorine bleach.
• Place suspected patients in adequately ventilated single rooms.
• When private rooms are not available, group patients together with patient beds ≥ 1.5 meters apart.
• Hospitalized patients with suspected COVID-19 Disease should wear a facemask, if required to leave their room and should use respiratory hygiene, cough etiquette, and hand hygiene.
• Practice safe waste management by making sure waste is appropriately segregated and transported using PPE.
• Teach all patients and care givers hand hygiene and cough etiquette (cough into the flexed elbow or into a tissue paper and carefully discard it to a bin)
• Make sure all health care workers have hand sanitizers in their uniform pockets all the times
• Designate staff and care items in isolation rooms
• Staff should perform hand hygiene and put on PPE before entering patient isolation rooms
• All health care workers should respect “my five moments for hand hygiene”
  1. Before Patient Contact
  2. Before an Aseptic task
  3. After body fluid Exposure risk
  4. After Patient Contact
  5. After contact with Patient Surroundings
• All health care personnel should avoid touching their faces
• Avoid keeping long and/or attached nails
• Avoid wearing jewelry at work
• Absolutely no cell phones during clinical activities

• As an alternative to the institutional-wide morning devotions in chapel, staff are instructed to observe morning devotions in their individual departments.
• Keep morning devotions brief.
• Avoid congestion in the devotions. All staff with cough should not attend.
• Avoid handshakes and hugging
• If a staff is diagnosed with Coivd-19 initiate contact tracing immediately.

• Maintain personal hygiene and keep your environment clean always
• Cooperate with the health teams
• Avoid crowds
• Avoid direct contact with any person who is suspected or has been diagnosed with Covid–19
• Do not cough or sneeze directly on others
• Use your elbow to cover your mouth or nose when coughing or sneezing
• Avoid handshakes and hugging
• Monitor your temperature and report if it is high
• Report any suspected cases to the nearest health authority
• Avoid visiting neighbors but check elderly or sick neighbors to help them get food, water and other necessities.
• Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after using the toilet and if they are soiled.
• Use hand hygiene gel or wash hands with soap and water before and after examining each patient.
• Do not go to work if you have a fever, cough or malaise and notify your supervisor.
• Call 1510 if there is a suspected case.

• Stay home from work, school, and keep away from other public places.
• Avoid using public transportation, no sharing of rides, or taxis.
• Monitor your symptoms carefully. If your symptoms get worse, call your healthcare provider immediately (1510)
• Get rest and stay hydrated.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or into a tissue paper and carefully discard to a bin
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• As much as possible, stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home.
• Use a separate bathroom, if available.
• If you need to be around other people in or outside of the home, wear a facemask.
• Avoid sharing personal items with other people in your household, like dishes, towels, and bedding
• Clean all surfaces that are touched often, like counters, tabletops, and doorknobs.
• Use household cleaning sprays or wipes according to the label instructions.
• If you lack household bleach for cleaning of surface, use simple soap and water to clean surface and allow enough air to circulate in the environment
• If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider ahead of time and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19.
• For medical emergencies, call 1510 and notify the dispatch personnel that you have or may have COVID-19.

• For now, suspend all face to face social group meetings
• Institute WhatsApp Group social meetings, especially njangi, family meetings, etc.
• Suspend your membership for now
• Call 1510 and report any suspected cases.

• All schools should increase the number of hand washing facilities in the school premises
• Teach all children/students to wash hands as many times as possible with soap and water
• Teach children/students cough etiquette (cough to the elbow or inside a tissue paper if productive and throw into a bin).
• All kids suffering from fever, catarrh, diarrhea or cough should stay at home until they get better, and if symptoms last more than two days or get much worse, seek medical assistance
• Screening at school is possible if the school can afford the devices and training
• Teach students/children to drink enough water daily and avoid sharing drinking containers

• Educate the Christians on COVID 19 using a knowledgeable health personnel
• Educate the congregation on hand hygiene with soap and water and/or hand hygiene gel.
• Increase the number of hand hygiene points within the church premises and ensure appropriate hand hygiene practices at entry and exit points
• Teach Christians to avoid hand-shakes and hugging
• Reduce the amount of time spent in church
• Ensure the church has adequate ventilation
• Christians who can afford should buy personal hand sanitizers which are now widely available
• Teach Christians to be well hydrated by drinking enough water daily
• Consider cancelling services and using radio and TV if the situation gets worse
• If need be ( in case a member is diagnosed with Covid-19) suspend church services and do contact tracing

• Travel only when it is absolutely necessary
• Avoid congested buses or cars
• Maintain good hand hygiene practices and cough etiquettes
• Avoid hand shakes
• Avoid individuals from coughing directly to your face

Be well hydrated by drinking enough water daily

• Do not use a common serving spoon
• Dish the food to the people as they indicate what they want to eat.
• Cutlery should be wrapped in paper napkins ready for each person.
• Avoid long ques of people to take food

Avoid hot crowded restaurants