Reopening a healthcare facility after severe flooding requires infection prevention and control procedures, according to a study in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology reported by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Authors studied flooded healthcare facilities in the United States and Thailand to develop suggestions for healthcare facilities to reduce the risk of infection after a flood. The authors discussed five key actions to take when reopening a facility following extensive flooding, according to the SHEA release:
• Remove flood waters and perform a site inspection.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and materials.
• Evaluate and remediate mold growth in impacted area, including the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
• Restore air flow.
• Conduct post-flood surveillance of water and air samples for outbreaks of flood-related infectious diseases.
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Authors studied flooded healthcare facilities in the United States and Thailand to develop suggestions for healthcare facilities to reduce the risk of infection after a flood. The authors discussed five key actions to take when reopening a facility following extensive flooding, according to the SHEA release:
• Remove flood waters and perform a site inspection.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and materials.
• Evaluate and remediate mold growth in impacted area, including the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
• Restore air flow.
• Conduct post-flood surveillance of water and air samples for outbreaks of flood-related infectious diseases.
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