Protecting yourself from cold and flu in the office

The winter season is here and chances are you have more patients visiting your practice with cold and flu like symptoms. To help prevent the spread of respiratory infections to you, your staff and to other patients, it is important to:

• Provide self-screening signage
• Provide face mask for patients as close to the entry of the clinical office as possible, with instructions on proper use and disposal
• Provide tissues and waste containers
• Provider instruction to cover the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
• Provide readily accessible alcohol-based hand rub

A prominent sign should be posted at the entrance of your clinic requesting that patients presenting with symptoms of infection identify themselves to the receptionist. If feasible, the waiting room should be arranged so that there is a separation of at least two metres between patients who have symptoms of respiratory infection when they cannot be immediately moved to an examination room.

Alternatively, seating may be arranged so that coughing patients are facing away from other patients (e.g., seating is back-to-back). Clean and disinfect equipment and surfaces that the patient contacted with a low-level disinfectant after the patient leaves. Remember getting a flu shot is the single best thing that you can do each flu season, and the other important thing you can do to keep from getting sick and to stop the spread of disease-causing germs is to wash your hands!

If you would like to receive copies of relevant assessment, signage and posters, please contact the North Toronto Sub-Region Team at North.Subregion@Sunnybrook.ca. Infection Prevention and Control Online learning modules are also available from the Public Health Ontario website at www.publichealthontario.ca.

Information taken from Infection Prevention and Control for Clinical Office Practice by the Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee.