Biomed J . Rapid responses in the emergency department of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan effectively prevent spread of COVID-19 among healthcare workers of emergency department during outbreak: Lessons learnt from SARS

[tetano]

Biomed J


. 2020 Jun 9;S2319-4170(20)30089-5.
doi: 10.1016/j.bj.2020.06.002. Online ahead of print.
Rapid responses in the emergency department of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan effectively prevent spread of COVID-19 among healthcare workers of emergency department during outbreak: Lessons learnt from SARS


Chen-June Seak ¹ , Ya-Tung Liu ² , Chip-Jin Ng ³ , SPOT investigators



Affiliations

• PMID: 32792166
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2020.06.002

Abstract

Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan has been on the forefront of efforts to manage and mitigate the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic since 20th January 2020. Despite having one of the largest and busiest emergency departments (EDs) in the world, we have managed to maintain a "zero-infection" rate among our ED healthcare workers through various systematic approaches. The measures implemented include establishing a clear flowchart with route planning, strict infection control policies and regulation of medical equipment, and team-based segregation in the workplace. These strategies, borne of our experience during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, can complement a network of well-trained personnel to enable EDs around the world in successfully mounting an effective defense against new airborne illness while minimizing healthcare personnel casualties.

Keywords: Chang Gung Memorial hospital; Coronavirus disease 2019; Emergency department; Severe acute respiratory syndrome.