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FW: NC DHHS COVID-19 LTC Weekly Update Email – 01/20/2021
LTC Vaccination 101 Webinar – Thursday 1/21/2021 – 10-11am EST
There are two webinars this week. This webinar will cover general information on vaccines and will leave time for Q&A:
Date & Time: 1/21/2021 Thursday 10:00am – 11:00am
Link to join Webinar
https://zoom.us/j/99794997344
Office telephone:
(312) 626-6799 or (646) 558-8656
Webinar ID: 997 9499 7344
iPhone one-tap :
+13126266799,,99794997344#
Vaccination Q&A for Long-Term Care Facility Staff Webinar– Friday 1/22/2021 – 12-1PM EST
This webinar will provide an opportunity for LTC staff to hear from and ask questions to a panel of presenters including LTC staff who have been vaccinated, an obstetrics and gynecology physician
as well as COVID-19 health equity champions from NC DHHS to answer questions and share their experiences with you.
Register for Webinar Here:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5400594819888514832
Additional Q&A sessions are being scheduled as well for the coming weeks including session
in Spanish.
Education and Information on Vaccines for Staff
In addition to the webinars above, your facility may be contacted by a member of DHHS to hear about any barriers or hesitancy on vaccine among LTC staff. Please let them know
of any questions or concerns you are hearing so we can adjust our efforts! Also please keep in mind the following resources to share with staff:
YouTube
CDC has also released a toolkit as a resource for explaining COVID-19 vaccination to both residents and staff in LTCFs. It includes resources for talking with staff, residents,
and families, FAQs on the vaccines, and tips on how to prepare staff and vaccine safety monitoring and reporting. Access it here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/toolkits/long-term-care/index.html.
LTC Federal Pharmacy Partnership with CVS/Walgreens Updates
LTC facilities enrolled in the CVS/Walgreens partnership can inform residents who have been discharged upon completion of the
first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine that they can return to the facility during the next clinic date for their second dose. CVS and Walgreens teams will provide the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the next clinic date.
LTC Vaccination Provider Enrollment
If your facility or long term care pharmacy wishes to enroll as a COVID-19 vaccine provider go to the CVMS
Vaccine Support page and click the Register link at the top right of the page to start the process. Follow this link for CVMS
Enrollment Instructions/Training it has a large amount of training information including training videos as well.
As a reminder, COVID-19 vaccine providers must be qualified under the CDC agreement to prescribe COVID-19 vaccines and authorized under the appropriate NC
licensing authority. Enrolled COVID-19 vaccine providers must be credentialed/licensed in North Carolina. Please understand that while currently qualified providers are welcome to enroll, requests will be addressed in an order aligned with the prioritization
phases and the timeline for approval will vary. The
State will continuously reassess enrollment prioritization based on needs.
LTC Infection Prevention Updated Guidance & Reminders
Updated CDC Guidance Considerations
for Use of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Testing in Nursing Homes
Until guidance changes, everyone, including those who have received COVID vaccination must:
- continue to practice all prevention measures (wear masks, maintain 6 feet distance, perform frequent hand hygiene, avoid crowds)
- follow CDC guidance for quarantine following exposure
Facilities should closely monitor the availability of PPE and return to routine use (eliminating extended use and limited reuse)
of PPE as soon as supply allows.
Reminder- Facilities conducting antigen testing and reporting all test results via NHSN no longer a need to send secure spreadsheets or faxes to the state or to provide eCATR
volume surveys.
LTC Facilities – Staffing Shortages
NC DHHS acknowledges that staffing shortages are a difficult challenge faced by some LTC facilities during their outbreak response.
NC DHHS does NOT recommend allowing positive HCP to work before completing their isolation period.
It is important for the facility to communicate with LHD and local emergency manager as soon as possible if there is potential
for unmet staffing needs.
- If the mitigation strategies listed below have been unsuccessful in meeting staffing needs the facility may consider allowing
positive HCP to work with positive residents prior to completing their isolation period.
- Contact temporary staffing agencies/nursing pools
- Contact corporate leadership or other sister facilities for temporary staffing support
- Contact the local emergency manager and local healthcare coalitions for temporary staffing support
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Implement plans to allow asymptomatic HCP who have had a high-risk unprotected
exposure to SARS-CoV-2 but are not known to be infected to continue to work
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Implement regional plans to transfer patients with COVID-19 to designated healthcare facilities or alternate care sites
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If staffing shortages continue despite pursuing the strategies listed above, consider implementing criteria to allow HCP with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 who are well enough
and willing to work but have not met all the Return
to Work criteria to work with positive residents and must follow
all appropriate precautions.
- Please see NC DHHS’s Emergency
Resource Requests and CDC’s Strategies
to Mitigate HCP Staffing Shortages documents for additional information
Monoclonal Antibodies for Treatment of COVID-19
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently given emergency use authorization to two monoclonal antibody drugs for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults
and pediatric patients with positive test results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing who are 12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg, and who are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. These two products, bamlanivimab
(manufactured by Eli Lilly) and casirivimab/imdevimab
(manufactured by Regeneron), are administered via one-time IV infusion, followed by 1-hour of direct patient observation and are intended to be given in an outpatient
setting. Currently US
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) controls the fair and equitable allocation of these
products to State Departments of Health on a weekly basis. Skilled nursing facilities interested in obtaining access to these medications should reach out to their pharmacy provider. For more information regarding access to monoclonal antibodies for
the treatment of COVID-19 in North Carolina, please contact Tim Davis (tim.davis@dhhs.nc.gov).
Sincerely,
North Carolina Assisted Living Association
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