Both at home and at work:

• Practice frequent hand washing
• Clean shared areas and “high-touch” items regularly (keyboards, doorknobs, common spaces, cellphones, etc.)
• Maintain social distancing whenever possible (including limiting social gatherings, particularly with other health care workers

When seeing patients:

• Minimize close contact and duration of contact with patients whenever possible. As community spread and prevalence of COVID-19 increase, so will atypical presentations. (e.g. take history >6 feet from the patient, considering calling the patient on the phone if possible for the initial history or longer conversations, stand behind the patient for brief exams in event of coughing or sneezing into your face.
• In an urgent evaluation for a COVID- 19 patient, complete as much of your assessment outside of the room as possible–you can collect vitals and determine if a patient is critically ill requiring MICU often by visual assessment.)
• Minimize the number of providers contacting a patient.
• Prioritize both the patient and provider wearing a facemask when seeing a suspected COVID patient. The risk of transmission decreases when the patient wears a mask properly. If the patient is wearing the mask incorrectly (not over nose and mouth) and is able to reposition the mask, ask the patient to do so before you enter the room.
• Be prepared to require use of an N-95 mask any day at work. Any stubble or facial hair can disrupt the integrity of the N-95 seal making it less effective in protecting the provider. Please prepare accordingly.