Find guidance for the health care community, including health alerts and resources for protecting patients and health care workers in different settings.
Alerts
Hotlines
- 24/7 emergency or urgent patient care assistance from CDC clinicians: 770-488-7100
ReportING
Report all suspect cases immediately to the Vermont Department of Health Infectious Disease Epidemiology by calling 802-863-7240 (24/7).
If you suspect a patient has COVID-19:
- Give the patient a surgical mask.
- Notify facility infection control personnel immediately.
- Use standard precautions, contact precautions, airborne precautions, and use eye protection when entering the room.
- Evaluate the patient in a private room with the door closed, ideally in an airborne infection isolation room
COVID-19 PPE Resource Request Form - submit if you anticipate depletion of any COVID-19 specific resource stocks within the next 7 days. Completion of this COVID-19 resource request form assumes facility implementation and practice of Contingency Operations Personal Protective Equipment Conservation measures.
Resources
COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment Guidance (Vermont Department of Health)
Infection Control FAQs (CDC)
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Strategies For Scarce Resource Situations (Health Alert)
Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators (CDC)
Dentists can resume all procedures, including those that generate aerosol.
Read the Interim Guidance for Resuming Dental Services in Vermont (Vermont Department of Health, 5/29/2020)
On April 8, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published guidance under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act authorizing licensed pharmacists to order and administer FDA-authorized COVID-19 tests for the duration of the national public health emergency. Pursuant to Executive Order 01-20,15-16, the Commissioner of Health and the Secretary of State authorize Vermont pharmacists to order and administer COVID-19 tests approved by FDA for pharmacy-based sample collection or administration.
See the Health Alert about Pharmacist Ordering and Administration of Testing for COVID-19 in Vermont.
Interested in offering COVID-19 testing?
Read the Pharmacy COVID-19 Testing Checklist and Board of Pharmacy Emergency COVID-19 Guidance
See a script to use if providing positive COVID-19 test results.
Service providers should work with their funder to determine how services should best be carried out in accordance with funding requirements and state/federal regulations.
Guidance
Clinical Management of Critically Ill Adults COCA, 4/2/2020 webinar, CDC
Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity calls and webinars, CDC
Clinical Questions about COVID-19: Questions and Answers (CDC)
Discontinuation of Isolation for Persons with COVID -19 Not in Healthcare Settings (CDC)
Information for Healthcare Professionals About Coronavirus (COVID-19) (CDC)
Clinical Information
Ordering Remdesivir
Remdesivir is available in limited supply in the state of Vermont. Working with the Vermont Department of Health, The University of Vermont Medical Center main pharmacy is facilitating distribution throughout the state. To obtain Remdesivir for your patient, please call the UVMMC main pharmacy at 802-847-2880 to talk with a pharmacist. Then fax a request form to 802-847-4832.
Clinical Resources
Clinical Care of COVID-19 (CDC)
Journal of the American Medical Association COVID-19 page
UpToDate COVID-19: Open Access Clinical Content
Burden of COVID-19 and Epidemiologic Risk Factors in Children (CDC)
Detection of COVID-19 in Children in Early January 2020 in Wuhan, China (New England Journal of Medicine)
Infection Control
Infection control guidance (CDC)
Personal Protective Equipment Guidance (Vermont Department of Health)
Population-Specific Guidance
Asthma
Important Information About COVID-19 for Those with Asthma (American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology)
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Visual Communication Card for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Pregnancy, Infants, Breastfeeding
Care for Breastfeeding Women (CDC)
Guidance for infants born to mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 (4/3/2020)
Guidance for pregnant and postpartum women with COVID-19 infection (4/3/2020)
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding (CDC)
People Experiencing Homelessness
Isolation/Quarantine and Recovery Housing is available for people who are either suspected of having COVID-19 or who have tested positive and do not require hospitalization. Read the program Overview, the Referral Guide & Forms and Transportation Guidelines to COVID-19 Isolation and Recovery Housing.
Substance Use
VT Helplink Alcohol and drug support center: Vermonters can access alcohol or other drug treatment and recovery support by calling VT Helplink at 802-565-LINK (toll free at 833-565-LINK) to talk directly with a specialist.
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions (Vermont Department of Health)
Handouts and posters (CDC)
Resources for the public (Vermont Department of Health)
Translated resources for the public (Vermont Department of Health)
For Children
How to talk to your kids about coronavirus (PBS Kids)
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children and COVID-19 (Vermont Department of Health)
Resources for Families (American Academy of Pediatrics)
The Vermont Department of Health initiated a public health program intended to allow more rapid detection of clinical deterioration of COVID-19 cases through the use of pulse oximeters at home. Earlier detection of hypoxemia in people with COVID-19 could prompt earlier medical evaluation and, as indicated, supportive care such as the provision of supplemental oxygen. In turn, it is hoped that more rapid initiation of supportive care for people with COVID-19 will also result in better clinical outcomes, including decreased mortality.
People newly diagnosed with COVID-19 are contacted by the Health Department. They are interviewed and counseled to contact their primary care provider or the nearest emergency department if they develop dyspnea or if their oxygen saturation reading is less than 92%. They are offered a pulse oximeter to monitor their oxygen saturation levels.
Please anticipate being contacted by COVID-19 patients in your practice or health care system if they develop dyspnea and/or hypoxemia while self-monitoring at home.
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COPING WITH Stress
An outbreak impacts the mental health of the helpers, as much and in some ways more than the public. Just as they might suggest to their patients, health care providers should take steps to take care of themselves, reduce stress and avoid burnout.
- Stay connected to others, giving and accepting support
- Take mini-breaks
- Keep up physical activity
- Maintain regular sleep patterns and healthy eating
- Limit excessive exposure to distressing media
- Practice stress management techniques such as mindfulness and deep breathing
- Connect to your sense of purpose
- Seek help from a professional if you experience symptoms of significant stress or impairing anxiety
Caring for yourself and others During COVID-19 (Webinar from Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare)
Coronavirus and Mental Health: Taking Care of Ourselves During Infectious Disease Outbreaks (American Psychiatric Association)
Guide to COVID-19 Mental Health Resources for Health Care Providers (Massachusetts General)
The Public Health Role of COVID-19 Serologic (Antibody) Assays in Vermont
In April, 2020, a working group of content experts from the fields of laboratory medicine, public health, infectious diseases, and ethics from the Vermont Department of Health, Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, and the University of Vermont Medical Center met to review the current data on the use of serologic testing in individuals and populations.
The Vermont Health Alert Network (VTHAN) is a targeted messaging system. Messages are sent to specific groups in our system. Examples of groups are long term care facilities, nurses, and veterinarians.
Most messages are also available on the Health Department's website.
Contacts are added based on profession and mainly consist of health care providers and emergency responders. Contact information is provided to the system through state licensing boards. If you are licensed with the Office of Professional Regulation, the Board of Medical Practice, or Vermont EMS, you are likely in the VTHAN system with the contact information used to register for that license.
Please make sure that noreply@everbridge.net is on your list of safe senders and check that VTHAN alerts are not going to your spam, clutter or junk folder. If you have an Outlook account and use the “Focused” inbox feature, please check to see if VTHAN alerts are getting sorted into the “Other” inbox.
If you work for a health care or social service facility but are not a licensee it is likely that we message the facility directly, and expect that they are forwarding relevant messages to employees. Please check with your facility administrator.
If you would like to stop receiving health alerts and advisories, please send a request to vthan@vermont.gov.