Healthcare Personnel Must Continue SARS-CoV-2 Prevention, Even as Community Guidelines Relax

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America is warning that it is imperative to continue vigilant infection prevention practices against SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare facilities even as community prevention measures for vaccinated people begin to relax.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that people fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 do not need to wear masks or practice physical distancing indoors or outdoors, except under certain circumstances. 

SHEA is excited that epidemiological data has confirmed vaccine effectiveness in community settings in recent months. We agree with the recommendations relaxing requirements for post-exposure, and post-travel, quarantine and testing for fully vaccinated individuals.  However, SHEA strongly cautions against relaxing transmission mitigation efforts including masking in communities with ongoing high rates of transmission and within healthcare settings. We endorse and re-emphasize the CDC’s continued recommendation for universal masking in all healthcare settings. 

CDC recommends that healthcare personnel continue to follow all current infection prevention and control recommendations for SARS-CoV-2, to protect themselves and others from infection.

For healthcare personnel, it is often not known whether patients have been vaccinated when they first arrive in need of care, and we provide care for many highly immunocompromised patients who may remain vulnerable to COVID-19 even after vaccination. The potential for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 is not limited to direct patient care interactions since transmission can also occur through unprotected exposures to asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic co-workers or visitors in common areas, whose vaccination status may also not be known. 

SHEA maintains that for the safety of all healthcare personnel and patients, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) use is critical. All healthcare personnel should continue to adhere to policies and procedures specific for healthcare settings. 

SHEA’s vision statement is “Safe Healthcare for All.” To accomplish this, SHEA supports continued adherence to SARS-CoV-2 transmission mitigation recommendations to prevent the spread of infections and to ensure that the United States sustains the growing progress in our fight to end the pandemic.  

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The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) is a professional society representing more than 2,000 physicians and other healthcare professionals around the world who possess expertise and passion for healthcare epidemiology, infection prevention, and antimicrobial stewardship. The society’s work improves public health by establishing infection-prevention measures and supporting antibiotic stewardship among healthcare providers, hospitals, and health systems. This is accomplished by leading research studies, translating research into clinical practice, developing evidence-based policies, optimizing antibiotic stewardship, and advancing the field of healthcare epidemiology. SHEA and its members strive to improve patient outcomes and create a safer, healthier future for all. Visit SHEA online at shea-online.org, facebook.com/SHEApreventingHAIs, and twitter.com/SHEA_Epi.

Contact: Beth Casteel | bcasteel@thereisgroup.com