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COVID-19 Update for Virginia<\/strong><\/p>\n May 7, 2020<\/p>\n Dear Colleague:<\/p>\n COVID-19 continues to evolve. Please visit the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) website<\/a> for clinical guidance and epidemiologic data.\u00a0 I want to highlight the following updates:<\/p>\n Testing <\/strong><\/p>\n Testing capacity at commercial, private<\/a> and hospital laboratories performing SARS-CoV-2 testing continues to increase in Virginia. As a result, in May, testing at Virginia\u2019s state laboratory, the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS), will transition to supporting public health surveillance and investigation activities<\/a>. Until May 31, 2020, if testing in the private sector is not available, clinicians may request testing for patients at DCLS by submitting the online COVID-19 Testing Request Form<\/a>.<\/p>\n VDH recommends using tests that have been evaluated by the FDA<\/a>.\u00a0 Providers should understand the type of test performed and the limitations of the test prior to interpreting the results.<\/p>\n Updated<\/strong> CDC Guidance for Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions for Patients with COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings<\/strong><\/a> and <\/strong>Return-to Work Criteria<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The symptom-based strategy (previously called the non-test-based strategy) was extended from at least 7 days after symptom onset to at least 10 days after symptom onset.\u00a0 For return to work criteria for healthcare providers, the preference about using a test-based strategy was removed.\u00a0 CDC\u2019s Discontinuation of Isolation for Persons with COVID -19 Not in Healthcare Settings<\/a> was also updated to extend the symptom-based strategy to at least 10 days.<\/p>\n Enhanced Morbidity Reporting Portal<\/strong><\/p>\n VDH has enhanced the online morbidity reporting portal<\/a> to report suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 (and other reportable diseases or conditions) to VDH.\u00a0 Electronic reporting, rather than paper- or fax-based methods, allows VDH to process reports more quickly and meet the demands of timely reporting to the public<\/a> and the CDC<\/a>.\u00a0 Please include signs and symptoms, other critical epidemiologic fields (e.g., race and ethnicity), and if testing is being pursued.\u00a0 Because VDH receives COVID-19 test results directly from laboratories, VDH can match suspected cases reported through the portal with laboratory reports.\u00a0 Therefore, clinicians should provide only one report per patient, at the earliest<\/u> point COVID-19 is suspected.<\/p>\n Fatalities<\/strong><\/p>\n Please promptly certify the cause of death in the Electronic Death Record when a patient dies.\u00a0 Delays in certifying death not only hinder respectful and proper processing of the decedent, they necessitate storage of the decedent, often exceeding the capacity of health care facilities, resulting in a need for temporary emergency storage facilities.\u00a0 If clinicians are unsure of the cause of death in cases where COVID-19 is suspected but not lab-confirmed, \u2018presumed\u2019 or \u2018probable\u2019 COVID-19 may be used in the cause of death statement (see Dear Colleague letter on April 20, 2020<\/a>).<\/p>\n VDH strongly encourages all hospitals, nursing facilities or nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and correctional facilities to notify funeral service providers upon the transfer of a decedent with suspected or known COVID-19. \u00a0The intent of section 32.1-37.1 of the Code of Virginia<\/em><\/a> is to provide advance notice to persons practicing funeral services so they can prepare and take any additional infection control precautions.<\/p>\n Thank you for all that you are doing every day to protect Virginians.\u00a0 Please consider joining or promoting the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps:\u00a0 www.vamrc.org\/vvhs<\/a> or vamrc@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a>.\u00a0 For all other questions, contact your local health department<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sincerely,<\/p>\n M. Norman Oliver, MD, MA<\/p>\n State Health Commissioner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" COVID-19 Update for Virginia May 7, 2020 Dear Colleague: COVID-19 continues to evolve. Please visit the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) website for clinical guidance and epidemiologic data.\u00a0 I want to highlight the following updates: Testing Testing capacity at commercial, private and hospital laboratories performing SARS-CoV-2 testing continues to increase in Virginia. As a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-667","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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