The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic on September 23, 2022. This is what directs the routine infection prevention and control practices that we implement in clinical settings. Below is a bulleted list of the office process changes that are a result of this update, effective Monday, October 3, 2022. Details follow.

• Masks will continue to be required throughout the office
• The upper-level waiting room will return to pre-COVID configuration
• Pre-injection process will return to pre-COVID process*

To prevent transmission to others, we continue to ask all patients and visitors with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection or compatible symptoms to defer non-urgent in-person visitation until they have met the healthcare criteria to end isolation. If you are unsure about whether or not you should come to office, please call and speak with a nurse.

Source control measures (use of respirators or well-fitting facemasks or cloth masks to cover a person’s mouth and nose to prevent spread of respiratory secretions when they are breathing, talking, sneezing, or coughing) are recommended for everyone when Community Transmission levels are high. If/when Community Transmission levels are not high, healthcare facilities could choose not to require universal source control. However, we will continue to require masking in our facility for the foreseeable future, regardless of Community Transmission Levels. This is due to the unique nature of our specialty:

• allergy symptoms include runny nose and cough
• function similar to an infusion center
• patients with suppressed or deficient immune system
• minimum of 30 minutes spent in our waiting rooms after injection

Source control also keeps patients and staff healthy this flu season. Staff will continue to wear masks for all patient-facing interactions.

CDC provides Transmission Levels (also known as Community Transmission) to describe the amount of COVID-19 spread within each county. Healthcare facilities use Transmission Levels to determine infection control interventions.

Our waiting room will return to pre-COVID configuration, providing additional seating options. You may choose to leave a seat/space between you and anyone in a different group. If there is not sufficient seating available, please see a staff member for assistance.

*With this change, we will also be adjusting pre-injection process to pre-COVID workflow. Upon entering the building, please sanitize your hands. Scan your injection card and wait in the waiting room. Once staff has prepared your injection(s), they will call you through the paging system by your first name and last initial to an injection station. Once you arrive at your injection station, the process will remain unchanged. You will still need to answer screening questions and then return to the waiting area after injection(s). Our lower-level waiting rooms may be open for your use after receiving an injection. If the door to the stairs is open, the lower-level waiting rooms are open. Please only use these waiting rooms when they are monitored by staff. This is for your safety.

We will continue to monitor for guideline updates and sincerely express our gratitude for the opportunity to participate in your health care.