COVID-19 is an emerging health concern. I have compiled resources for the management of the virus relevant to the province of Alberta. It is my intention to keep the information up-to-date.
Contents
- Question’s and Answers: TLDR
- Epidemiology, Pathophysiology and Diagnostics
- Treatment Considerations
- Credible Resources
- Further Reading
Question’s and Answers: TLDR
- Is COVID-19 airborne?
- Do patients with COVID-19 have digestive symptoms?
- What personal protective equipment is necessary when managing patients with COVID-19?
Is COVID-19 airborne?
No, however, it can be made airborne with certain procedures or in the laboratory setting, use the appropriate precautions in those specific environments.
References
Joffe, M., & Conly, J. (2020, March 23). Response to Media Reports about COVID-19 Virus Being Airborne. In Alberta Health Services. Retrieved from https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/ppih/if-ppih-covid-19-response-airborne.pdf
Do patients with COVID-19 have digestive symptoms?
Yes. About half of patients presenting to hospital have digestive complaints, including diarrhea. In rare instances, patients will present without respiratory complaint and ONLY diarrhea.
References
Pan, L., Mu, M., Yang, P., Sun, Y., Wang, R., Li, P., … Tu, L. (2020, March 18). Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients with digestive symptoms in Hubei, China: a descriptive, cross-sectional, multicenter study. In American Journal of Gastroenterology. Retrieved from https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Documents/COVID_Digestive_Symptoms_AJG_Preproof.pdf
What personal protective equipment is necessary when managing patients with COVID-19?
The current recommendation for personal protective equipment when managing a patient with, or suspected of having COVID-19 is the use of contact and droplet precautions. This includes:
- gloves
- long sleeve gown
- facial protection i.e. procedure mask and eye protection or face shield
If performing an aerosol-generating medical procedure, an N95 respirator should be used.
It is best to follow the recommendations provided by your local health authority. Please see the links provided for current recommendations:
References
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2020, April 23). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): For health professionals. In Government of Canada. Retrieved April 23, 2020, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals.html
Epidemiology, Pathophysiology and Diagnostics
Treatment Considerations
Palliative Care
Pallium, in collaboration with the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), is providing access to essential education on palliative care for all health care professionals in response to this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. In these difficult times, it is more important than ever that all health care providers are equipped with the essential skills to provide compassionate, palliative care to patients in need.
Credible Resources
- Nova Scotia Health Authority, Emergency Health Services
Further Reading
Emergency Medicine Cases
EMCRIT Internet Book of Critical Care
University of Calgary, Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development
Work in Progress
- https://www.ajtmh.org/content/journals/10.4269/ajtmh.20-0283?fbclid=IwAR17phKWdgSzTur2yWyIFJoDHXzw4CnGDBYeVh9GDhC17kGEWwH2T4kkIAo
- https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-020-02880-z?fbclid=IwAR0vAtSCW6u_WGSRb8SmsGiKu2pRR7Wynj2HQf1nQ3kEgoJ95KVP7pyAMek
- https://emcrit.org/pulmcrit/happy-hypoxemia-physiology/?fbclid=IwAR3-y6jVEi6qchC_NMhfN7xlJKgJImtFTosp7zJkfDI7hW-NbLvvnXNlGB8
- https://emergencymedicinecases.com/faq-items/covid-update-april-5th-2020/
Arthur Waters 