On-Demand Webinar: Outbreak Management in Long-Term Care-Outbreak Management in Long-Term Care

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This webinar focuses on outbreak investigation and management in long-term care (LTC) settings, emphasizing respiratory and diarrheal illnesses. Joan and Marco outline the phases of outbreak response: identification, coordination, and evaluation. Early detection through surveillance, symptom characterization, and diagnostic testing is critical. Reporting to public health authorities is both legally required and essential for support. Coordination involves defining cases, creating line listings and epidemiological curves, and implementing control measures like isolation, hand hygiene, vaccination, and cohorting. Daily team meetings ensure communication across departments and with public health partners.<br /><br />Joan highlights respiratory virus outbreaks, particularly influenza and RSV, stressing vaccination for residents, staff, and visitors, rapid diagnostic testing, and infection control practices such as masking and limiting communal activities. A detailed case study illustrated managing simultaneous influenza and RSV outbreaks, including antiviral treatment, cohorting based on specific diagnoses, and ending outbreaks as per public health criteria.<br /><br />Marco discusses norovirus outbreaks, focusing on transmission via contaminated food and person-to-person spread, with outbreaks often peaking in cold seasons when people congregate indoors. He presents a multistate norovirus outbreak across several LTC facilities linked to a single healthcare company, illustrating challenges like staff working at multiple sites and limited staff availability during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.<br /><br />The presenters emphasize environmental cleanliness, staff roles as vectors, and ongoing communication and collaboration with public health. They recommend ongoing education, careful outbreak documentation, and post-outbreak debriefings to identify strengths and improve future responses. The session concludes with Q&A on software for surveillance, observational audits, balancing infection control with resident wellbeing, and managing outbreaks in under-vaccinated populations.

Keywords

outbreak investigation

long-term care

respiratory illnesses

diarrheal illnesses

surveillance

infection control

influenza

RSV

norovirus

public health coordination