Applies to: (examples; Faculty,Staff, Students, etc)

Faculty , Staff , Students , Contractors_Vendors

Policy Overview:

The Communicable Disease Outbreak Control Policy is designed to:

• Inform, educate, and advise the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis community on communicable disease prevention
• Outline actions and processes to protect the health and well-being of faculty, staff, students, visitors, and contracted employees
• Establish communication channels of reporting communicable diseases among faculty, staff, and students to appropriate personnel

In the event that a communicable disease significantly impacts the UHSP community, the Incident Management Team will activate to implement necessary practices outlined in this policy to cease continued spread of disease.

Definitions:

Details:

I. Information on Communicable Diseases:

A. Background

1. University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis has established this policy to enhance awareness and limit the spread of communicable diseases among faculty, staff, students, visitors, and contracted employees of the University. A communicable disease may be any illness caused by an infectious agent or its toxic product that results from transmission of that agent or its toxic products from an infected person, animal, or reservoir to a susceptible host. 1

B. Indications Of A Communicable Disease Outbreak

1. Any faculty, staff, student, visitor, or contracted employee of the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis with symptoms of a communicable disease including, but not limited to, headache, fever, muscle aches, joint pain, nausea, and vomiting, shall seek prompt medical attention from a physician. Any faculty, staff, student, visitor, or contracted employee who are diagnosed with a communicable disease as defined in section I.C from a physician or health care facility are required to follow the guidelines as outlined in this policy.

C. Scope

1. The Communicable Disease Outbreak Control Policy shall be referred to for diseases confirmed or suspected in the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis community deemed as infectious, communicable, or contagious that are transmitted to people by the air, bodily fluids, object, or person-to-person contact.

2. Infection control measures within the Communicable Disease Outbreak Control Policy shall take effect when the following diseases are suspected or confirmed in the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis community:

a) Tuberculosis (confirmed or suspected)
b) SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
c) MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)
d) Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers
e) Pandemic Influenza (confirmed or suspected)
f) Meningitis (Viral & Bacterial)

3. The following communicable diseases shall also be reported to the office of Student Affairs and the Office of Emergency Management and Evironmental Health & Safety:

a) Measles
b) Mumps
c) Chicken Pox-Varicella
d) Confirmed Seasonal Influenza
e) Any other emerging communicable disease

D. Objectives

1. Protect the health and well-being of all faculty, staff, students, visitors, and contracted employees
2. Define necessary procedures of the Communicable Disease Outbreak Control Policy
3. Inform, educate, and advise University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis community on communicable disease prevention
4. Establish reporting procedures expected for students and employees with suspected or confirmed cases of communicable diseases
5. Ensure compliance with local, state and federal reporting requirements (e.g., City of St. Louis, MO Department of Health & Senior Services, CDC, OSHA)

Procedures:

II. Tracking

A. Faculty, staff, and contracted employees of the University shall report any diagnosis from a physician or medical agency of any of the communicable diseases listed in sections I.C.2 and I.C.3 to their supervisor and Human Resources, and the Office of Emergency Management and Environmental Health & Safety.

B. Students of the University shall report any diagnosis from a physician or medical agency of any of the communicable diseases defined in sections I.C.2 and I.C.3 to the Office of Emergency Management and Environmental Health & Safety, Office of Student Affairs, and the Dean’s Office.

C. Public Safety shall document all escorts to a medical facility, noting symptoms and other pertinent information for trending purposes, and provide weekly updates to the Office of Emergency Management and Environmental Health & Safety.

D. In the event an illness pattern is identified, notifications will be made and a best effort will be made to inform any members of the UHSP community who may have had contact since the patient has been contagious. Any exposed individuals are those that have come into contact with the patient since the onset of the patient’s symptoms or at least one day prior to the onset of symptoms.

E. Office of Emergency Management and Environmental Health & Safety, Office of Student Affairs, and Human Resources will ensure compliance with mandatory reporting to local, state and federal agencies.

III. Outbreak Control

A. Procedures For All Students

1. All students with a confirmed or suspected case of a communicable disease as defined in section I.C shall return home, shall not be allowed to attend classes and other campus activities, or return to campus. Before a student may return to campus the student must be examined by a physician and provide a statement to the Office of Emergency Management and Environmental Health & Safety, Office of Student Afffairs, and the Dean’s Office of non-communicability by a physician certifying that the student no longer presents a risk to the University community. Sending the student home is intended to prevent the spread of communicable diseases to other members of the University community.

2. Students diagnosed with a communicable disease may be required by the Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to remain in isolation to protect the health of the public per Missouri Title 19.CSR.20.20-050.

3. Students residing in on-campus housing who are diagnosed with a communicable disease as defined in Section I.C and do not require isolation by the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services shall not be allowed to reside in on-campus housing for the duration of their illness.

4. For information on reporting excused absences from class, refer to the “sick policy” in the Student Handbook.

B. Procedures for Faculty, Staff, and Contracted Employees

1. Faculty, staff, and contracted employees with a diagnosis of a communicable disease as defined in Section I.C are expected to remain off work until the risk of infecting others has ended and he/she can return to full duties. Before an employee is allowed to return to work, the employee must present a statement from a physician to his/her supervisor, Human Resources, and the Office of Emergency Management and Environmental Health & Safety certifying that the employee no longer poses a risk to the University community.

C. Procedures For Managing An Epidemic Among University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis Community:

1. An epidemic of any of the diseases defined in I.C refers to a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is expected in the UHSP community. As few as one case of the diseases listed in I.C, with the exception of seasonal influenza, may be considered an epidemic for the UHSP campus and the protection practices outlined in this policy shall be implemented.

2. The University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis Incident Management Team will activate the Emergency Operations Plan to attempt to cease the transmission of disease, coordinate necessary mass prophylaxis dispensing, and maintain a safe and functioning campus environment. Measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases include:

a) Upholding procedures of the Communicable Disease Outbreak Control Policy
b) Disseminating information on common routes of transmission of communicable diseases including respiratory, direct contact, indirect contact, or fomite spread
c) Creating, maintaining, and dispensing of any infection prevention supplies
d) Implementing isolation only when necessary
e) Closing campus only when absolutely necessary

3. If the ability of the University to provide all normal functions and services is diminished during an outbreak, units will implement their respective Continuity of Operations (COOP) plan that identifies their Mission Essential Functions and strategies to maintain them.

D. Isolation

1. In the event a student with a communicable disease is not required by the Director of the Department of Health and Senior Services to remain in isolation in a medical facility, but cannot return home, the student may only remain on campus in isolation.

2. Appropriate measures should be taken to minimize restrictions of liberties and health risks to all individuals of the UHSP community. The IMT, in coordination with Residential Life, shall implement plans to best care for and provide appropriate accommodations to infected patient(s) to maintain a healthy and safe campus environment.

a) The IMT, through the Public Information Officer, shall announce the location of the patient(s) residing on-campus to all appropriate personnel.
b) The IMT, in coordination with Residential Life, shall implement plans to serve the residential needs of the infected patient(s) including, but not limited to, food services, custodial services, and communication.
c) Any University personnel designated to the area the infected patient is residing on-campus in isolation in shall be educated on the appropriate methods of self-protection. All necessary methods of self-protection, including any personal protective equipment, shall be made available to prevent the transmission of the disease to any University personnel.

3. In the event a student must remain in isolation on campus and before the student may be discharged from isolation, they must be examined by a physician and provide a statement to the Office of Emergency Management and Environmental Health & Safety, Office of Student Affairs, and the Dean’s Office of non-communicability from the physician before returning to classes and other campus activities. The statement from the physician must certify that the patient no longer presents a risk to the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis community. The IMT must notify all appropriate UHSP personnel if a patient has been released from isolation and may return to class.

4. In the event that multiple students need to be isolated on campus, appropriate accommodations will be made to minimize risks and maximize health benefits to all stakeholders. Multiple patients needing isolation shall only be allowed to be isolated in the same room under the circumstance that both patients have the same communicable disease as diagnosed by a physician.

5. In the event a student is held in isolation on campus and needs to be transported to home or another location, the student must notify Public Safety before leaving the isolation room. Public Safety, through the assistance of appropriate units or the IMT, shall assist the patient in the transportation process. All Public Safety personnel involved in transporting the patient shall wear appropriate PPE throughout all points of contact with the patient. The patient must also wear appropriate PPE at all times during transportation to prevent the transmission of disease.

Public transportation is not an acceptable means of patient transportation.

E. Personal Protective Equipment

1. PPE is required to be worn by any individuals before entering a room designated for isolation. Baseline PPE is required to be worn, which includes disposable gloves, non-disposable outer garments, such as impermeable coveralls or aprons, polyurethane boots that can be cleaned and disinfected, safety goggles, and disposable particulate respirators, such as N-95, are the minimum level of respiratory protection that should be worn. All PPE shall be properly fit-tested for all individuals wearing PPE. Disposable PPE shall be properly discarded and non-disposable PPE shall be cleaned and disinfected per state or USDA outbreak-response guidelines. Those that are required to wear PPE must be trained on properly donning PPE before entering any room designated for isolation. PPE donning shall be taught by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.

2. The Office of EHS shall be responsible for procuring, storing, and distributing all PPE to individuals.

F. Transmission Mitigation

1. All faculty, staff, students, and contracted employees are expected to take appropriate measures to reduce the transmission of disease at all times from person to person including washing hands and staying home when ill.

2. In the event of a communicable disease outbreak, appropriate measures shall be taken to prevent further transmission of the disease from person-to-person. Transmission mitigation measures include, but are not limited to, hand sanitizer stations, wearing of personal protective equipment, and cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces that are a common source of transmission of disease between people. In the event of a communicable disease outbreak spread from person-to-person through the air, appropriate disposable respirators shall be procured and distributed to all stakeholders through the IMT.

Responsibilities:

Resources:

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Supplemental Information:

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