Neurosci Bull. The Risk and Prevention of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Infections Among Inpatients in Psychiatric Hospitals

[tetano]

Neurosci Bull. 2020 Feb 25. doi: 10.1007/s12264-020-00476-9. [Epub ahead of print] [h=1]The Risk and Prevention of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Infections Among Inpatients in Psychiatric Hospitals.[/h]
Zhu Y[SUP]1[/SUP], Chen L[SUP]2[/SUP], Ji H[SUP]2[/SUP], Xi M[SUP]3[/SUP], Fang Y[SUP]4,[/SUP][SUP]5,[/SUP][SUP]6[/SUP], Li Y[SUP]7[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]

PMID: 32096116 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-020-00476-9

 

[Thornton]

We are very concerned about prevention and mitigation in our mental health facilities. Most inpatient psychiatric care in the USA is provided in short stay crisis units with length of stay approximately 5 to 7 days. Access to beds is very tight. If a facility identifies an affected patient they will have to transfer that patient to a higher level of care but the facility itself will close/quarantine. We then have even less access for patients needing psychiatrics care and they get backed up into the emergency departments. We are looking at ways to provide more services remotely, but have yet to confirm IT capacity to handle the increased bandwidth in the community for hospitals, clinics, schools, universities, schools and stores to all go virtual at the same time.