Conversations Blog

Jenny Albertson, NHA

Director of Quality & Regulatory Affairs

COVID Outbreak Reporting Reminders

September 26, 2023

Do you remember what to do if you have a positive case?

CDPHE Mitigation Guidance for Long-term Residential – Updated July 24, 2023

CDPHE Mitigation Guidance fore Assisted Living – Updated July 24, 2023

Outbreak reporting (same for LTC/SNF and AL) – Facilities must notify public health of known or suspected outbreaks of COVID-19.

OR
  • Call CDPHE to report by phone 303-692-2700 (8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday) or 303-370-9395 (after hours, holidays, and weekends).

The facility must collect and document information for each ill resident and/or staff member including: names, dates of birth, symptoms, testing, and vaccination information for all ill residents and staff.

○ Use the Long Term Care Line List.

○ Update the line list weekly until the outbreak has resolved.

○ Send completed line lists to CDPHE each Tuesday via secure email: cdphe_covid_infection_prevention@state.co.us.

 

Outbreak case definition

  • One or more facility-acquired COVID-19 probable or confirmed cases in a resident.
OR
  • Three or more suspect, probable, or confirmed COVID-19 cases in HCP/facility staff with epi-linkage AND no other more likely source of exposure for at least one of the cases. A facility-acquired COVID-19 infection in a long-term resident refers to a SARS-CoV-2 infection that originated in the facility. It does not refer to the following:
    • Residents who were known to have SARS-CoV-2 infection on admission to the facility and were placed into appropriate Transmission-Based Precautions to prevent transmission to others in the facility.
    • Residents who were placed into Transmission-Based Precautions (quarantine) on admission and developed SARS-CoV-2 infection while in quarantine.

 

Epi-linkage among HCP/facility staff:  Defined as having the potential to have been within six feet for 15 minutes or longer while working in the facility during the seven days prior to the onset of symptoms. For example, HCP/staff worked on the same unit during the same shift, and no more likely sources of exposure were identified outside the facility. Determining epi-linkages requires judgment and may include weighing evidence whether or not transmission took place in the facility, accounting for likely sources of exposure outside the facility.