The chief health officer and several other physician executives of Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente published eight steps the organization is taking to suppress COVID-19 in NEJM Catalyst.
The executives say "disease suppression" is the next phase in the COVID-19 pandemic. Suppression "recognizes that despite the considerable risk of outbreaks reemerging as social distancing is lifted, we must carefully balance these concerns against the grave population health risks of failing to successfully reopen our communities and restart our economies."
Here are the eight steps Kaiser is taking to suppress COVID-19:
1. Aggressive testing for symptomatic, exposed and asymptomatic patients
2. Robust contact tracing (the process of identifying COVID-19 patients and their contacts)
3. New partnerships with community-based groups, as single health systems can't manage COVID-19 alone
4. Whenever and wherever possible, deliver care in the home
5. Preserve excess care capacity for the foreseeable future
6. Ensure COVID-19 infection risk is low while reinstating elective surgeries and services
7. Continue researching COVID-19 and potential vaccines
8. Provide ongoing education to patients on COVID-19
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