COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control: Your Questions Answered

In the strategies for effective infection prevention and control (IPC), what does triage entail at hospitals? Triage includes screening at the entrance, identification of cases and isolation if necessary. There should be a triage (screening) area where visitors to the hospital are interviewed using standard questionnaires to identify symptoms, along with temperature checks and documentation of contacts. Individuals who meet the case definition for COVID-19 should be isolated immediately while arrangement is being made for swab (sample) collection from the patient. (See the WHO guidance on triage).