The guidance is to be used to support the response to coronavirus (COVID-19). It applies to adult social care settings and services in England from 4 April 2022. It should be read with the infection prevention and control (IPC) resource for adult social care, which should be used as a basis for any IPC response.
This supplement should also be read with the adult social care testing guidance, which details the testing regimes for all staff, as well as any resident and outbreak testing where applicable.
The guidance is for people responsible for setting and maintaining standards of IPC within adult social care in England, such as care managers.
Published 31 March 2022 Last updated 23 December 2022 +show all updates
Updated section on face masks: visitors as well as staff might consider wearing a mask if they're aware they are a household or overnight contact of someone who has had a positive test result for COVID-19.
Updated to reflect announcement on use of masks: the guidance now recommends a risk-based approach. The guidance has also been updated to reflect changes to outbreak management in care homes that enable providers to initiate risk assessment themselves. Added a section covering if a member of staff is symptomatic or tests positive for COVID-19.
Updated to add links to COVID-19 PPE guide for adult social care services and settings, COVID-19 PPE guide for unpaid carers, and PPE guide for non-aerosol generating procedures.
Updated guidance on asymptomatic testing. This reflects policy changes that remove guidance for staff to conduct regular asymptomatic testing and remove guidance for visitors providing personal care to test asymptomatically. Updated discharge from hospital advice to make clear that the period of isolation is continuous and does not restart moving between services. Removed the document 'Summary of changes to COVID-19 guidance to adult social care providers'. All IPC guidance on COVID-19 for adult social care settings is in the document still on this page.
Updated attachment 'COVID-19 supplement to the infection prevention and control resource for adult social care': 1. correction to first paragraph, continuous positive airway pressure ventilation (CPAP) removed as an example of an AGP in the community, clarified suctioning and tracheostomy procedures in the first paragraph. 2. Updated 'IPC considerations for people receiving care' to reflect that people with cognitive conditions such as dementia may present with atypical symptoms. 3. Updated to clarify that all visitors are encouraged to wear face masks rather than face coverings.
Updated 'COVID-19 supplement to the infection prevention and control resource for adult social care to reflect the latest guidance on symptoms and aerosol-generating procedures. Added further information on testing and PPE for live-in carers.
