COVID-19 FAQs for Providers

Updated 1/13/2022

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2 first discovered in December, 2019 in Wuhan, China. It is very contagious and has quickly spread around the world. COVID-19 most often causes respiratory symptoms that can feel much like a cold, a flu, or pneumonia, but COVID-19 can also harm other parts of the body. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people can become severely ill. Older adults and people who have certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of severe illness.

How does COVID-19 spread?

COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus. These droplets and particles can be breathed in by other people or land on their eyes, noses, or mouth. In some circumstances, they may contaminate the surfaces they touch. People who are closer than 6 feet from the infected person are most likely to become infected.

COVID-19 spreads in three main ways:

• Breathing in air when close to an infected person who is breathing out small droplets and particles that contain the virus.
• Having these small droplets and particles that contain the virus land on the eyes, nose, or mouth, especially through coughs and sneezes.
• Touching eyes, nose, or mouth with hands that have the virus on them.

People are most likely to spread the disease when they have symptoms, but some people may spread the virus before they show symptoms.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.

How soon after exposure do symptoms start?

In general, symptoms appear 2 – 14 days after exposure.

How long can a person spread COVID-19?

Someone with COVID-19 may be contagious from two days before they show symptoms until 10 days after symptom onset or 72 hours after symptoms stop, whichever is longer.

What are severe complications from this virus?

In severe cases, infection can cause bronchitis (swelling of the tubes into the lungs), pneumonia (infection in the lungs often with fluid build up), kidney failure, and even death.  People over 60 years old and those with other underlying health conditions are more likely to have severe complications.

If my patient has an underlying medical condition and is at a higher risk from severe disease from COVID-19, what should I tell them?

• Stay up to date on the latest evidence about the risk for patients with underlying medical conditions. CDC analyzes data to determine the level of risk for people with underlying medical conditions and will provide updates over time as new information is available.
• You know your patients’ overall health and how well their conditions are managed. Use your clinical judgment to evaluate each patient’s level of risk.
• Help patients manage their underlying conditions to the best of their ability, encouraging them to take medicines as prescribed and ensuring that patients have sufficient medication and supplies. For example, you may prescribe 3-month supplies of medications to ensure they have access to sufficient medications.
• Explain to all patients which symptoms of their chronic conditions require emergency care or in-person visits. Stress the importance of obtaining emergency care if needed.
• Reassure your patients who require emergency care that emergency departments (ED) have infection prevention plans to protect them from acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection in the ED.
• Tell patients with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk of severe illness or poorer outcomes from COVID-19 to:
• Take precautions to reduce the risk of getting COVID-19.
• Closely follow your care plans for managing their chronic disease, including, for example, achieving better glycemic or blood pressure control.
• Seek emergency care if any of their underlying medical conditions worsen and require immediate attention.
• Encourage all patients, regardless of risk, to:
• Take steps to protect themselves.
• Call their healthcare provider if you are sick with a fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
• Follow CDC travel guidelines and the recommendations of your state and local health officials.
• Fear and anxiety about a new disease can feel overwhelming, especially for those with underlying risk factors, those in close contact with infected patients, and those with sources of stress outside the workplace. Follow guidance on ways to take care of yourself and encourage your patients to do the same.

Additional resources for healthcare providers

When should a patient seek emergency medical attention?

You should seek emergency medical attention if you are experiencing:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake-up or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nails, depending on skin tone

Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.

What recommendations can I give patients to protect themselves and their family?

You can prevent infection by doing the following:

• Encourage a COVID-19 vaccine for your patients and their family members
• Wear a mask while indoors
• Practice social distancing by keeping at least 6 feet between you and others
• Stay home when you are sick
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Wash your hands often with soap and water
• Cover your cough or sneeze
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
• Don’t share drinking cups or utensils with other people
• A list of products approved to kill coronavirus can be found HERE

What should healthcare providers (HCP) do outside of work to prevent transmission of COVID-19?

To prevent transmission of COVID-19 outside of work, HCP should follow CDC’s Guidance on Public Health Recommendations for Community-Related Exposure. Because of their potential for exposure to COVID-19 at work, some HCP may choose to implement extra measures when arriving home from providing healthcare, such as:

• Removing any clothing they wore while delivering healthcare
• Taking off shoes
• Washing their clothing
• Immediately showering

What can I tell my patients about the COVID-19 vaccines?

At this time, there are three vaccines for COVID-19 in the United States:

1. Comirnaty/Pfizer
   1. Two-dose vaccine given 21 days apart
   2. Fully approved for use in individuals 16 and older, under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for use in individuals 12 to 15
2. Moderna
   1. Two-dose vaccine given 28 days apart
   2. Under EUA for use in individuals 18 and older
3. Johnson and Johnson (J&)
   1. One-dose vaccine
   2. Under EUA for use in individuals 18 and older

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccines, visit www.sedgwickcounty.org/covid-19/vaccine/

Where can my patients find a COVID-19 vaccine clinic near them?

Have them visit www.sedgwickcounty.org/covid-19/vaccine/clinic-locations/ or www.vaccines.gov

Is there a treatment?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved one drug, Remdesivir, to treat COVID-19 in certain situations. Most people with mild coronavirus illness will recover on their own by drinking plenty of fluids, resting, and taking pain and fever medications. However, some people have developed pneumonia and require medical care or hospitalization.

What do I say if my patients mention ivermectin to treat COVID-19?

The FDA has not approved ivermectin for use in treating or preventing COVID-19 in humans. Ivermectin tablets are approved at very specific doses for some parasitic worms. Ivermectin is not an anti-viral drug (a drug for treating viruses). Taking large doses of this drug is dangerous and can cause serious harm. There's a lot of misinformation around, and you may have heard that it's okay to take large doses of ivermectin. That is wrong. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19

How do we test for COVID-19?

A healthcare provider obtains swabs deep in a person’s nose or throat for the test. The provider sends the swabs to a commercial laboratory or the state health department (Kansas Department of Health and Environment). Another option is through saliva testing, where the person being tested spits into a tube for the test.

Antibody and antigen tests are not confirmatory for COVID-19; therefore, the SCHD is not offering these types of tests.

Testing for COVID-19

A laboratory test for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is performed by the state health department laboratory in Topeka or through commercial laboratories.  A small swab from a person’s nose or throat or the person’s saliva is used for the test.

People with symptoms who are currently being tested for COVID-19 should remain in home isolation, or hospital isolation if symptoms are severe enough to be hospitalized until test results are available. People without symptoms may continue normal activities while awaiting test results.

• If the test result is negative, isolation is no longer required.
• If test results are positive for COVID-19, the person must remain in isolation until released by a health department.

For COVID-19 testing through the Sedgwick County Health Department and a list of other testing clinics around Sedgwick County, click here.

Who should be tested?

After infection with a virus, the level of virus in a person’s body increases over time and then decreases when your immune system fights it off. The COVID-19 test will be positive if the amount of virus in your body is high enough to be detected by the test.

• Symptoms are the best indication that the level of virus is detectable, but you can still test positive even if you don’t have symptoms.

A negative COVID-19 test could mean that you do not have the virus OR it could mean that you don’t have enough virus in your body for it to be detectable.

• Testing only indicates what is going on in your body at the time of the test
• A person with a negative test one day can test positive the next day or several days later if the amount of virus in their body increases, or if they are exposed after testing.

Knowing your risk of exposure and your symptoms on the day of testing are important for the lab to properly interpret your results.

What happens if a healthcare worker tests positive for COVID-19?

• Isolate at home for 10 days or 7 days with a negative PCR or antigen test, if asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic with improving symptoms.
• Healthcare workers who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic with improving symptoms should work only with COVID-19 positive patients during the 10 day infectious period, unless the facility is in crisis staffing.
• KDHE and SCHD allow for shorter isolation periods under contingency and crisis staffing levels. Healthcare workers should work with their occupational health to determine appropriate isolation periods for their situation and facility.

The Health Department will help identify your close contacts, who will be referred to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for follow-up. This only occurs if you give permission. Close contacts should complete the modified in-home quarantine as described below or as recommended by KDHE.

What quarantine and isolation guidance should a healthcare worker follow?

Please follow the most updated guidance located, here. 

How long do test results typically take?

Results are generally available by the afternoon of the next weekday (see table below). These testes are not antibody tests, but show if you have a current infection.

What is a close contact?

You are considered a “close contact” if any of the following situations happened while you were with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 – even if they did not have symptoms:

• You were within 6 feet of the person for 15 cumulative minutes in a 24-hour period
• You had contact with the person’s respiratory secretions (sneezing, coughing, sharing a drinking glass, food, towels or other personal items, kissing)
• You live with the person or stayed overnight for at least one night in the person’s house
• You participated in activities that increase respiration (breathing rate), such as sports or singing, with someone who was positive.

Modified Disease Investigation

• The Health Department has prioritized COVID-19 case investigations based on the level of risk for the spread of disease.
• Disease investigators will investigate positive cases in the following order of priority: cases tested by the Health Department, cases reported from clusters and potential clusters, cases reported from schools, cases in school-aged children (not reported by schools), and other cases as resources allow. 
• To help contain the spread of disease, if you test positive, you should reach out to your own close contacts and let them know of their potential exposure and about the 5 day in-home quarantine with 5 additional days wearing a mask under the guidance above. If they have questions, they can call the Health Department at 316-660-1022.

When can a person who tests positive resume normal activities?

The person can return to normal activities 10 days after symptoms started or 72 hours symptom free, whichever is longer.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements for Healthcare Providers Collecting Specimen Swabs from a Patient Suspected of Having COVID-19

• Gowns 
• Gloves
• Eye Protection (goggles or faceshield)
• Respiratory Protection – use a fit-tested N95 respirator (facemasks are an acceptable alternative for collecting sample swabs when the supply chain of respirators cannot meet the demand)

What testing and standards should I consider when looking for CDC-recommended protective clothing?

• CDC’s guidance for Considerations for Selecting Protective Clothing used in Healthcare for Protection against Microorganisms in Blood and Body Fluids outlines the scientific evidence and information on national and international standards, test methods, and specifications for fluid-resistant and impermeable gowns and coveralls used in healthcare.
• Many organizations have published guidelines for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in medical settings. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Association of the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) describe the liquid barrier performance and a classification of surgical and isolation gowns for use in health care facilities.
• As with any type of PPE, the key to proper selection and use of protective clothing is to understand the hazards and the risk of exposure. Some of the factors important to assessing the risk of exposure in health facilities include source, modes of transmission, pressures and types of contact, and duration and type of tasks to be performed by the user of the PPE.
• For gowns, it is important to have sufficient overlap of the fabric so that it wraps around the body to cover the back (ensuring that if the wearer squats or sits down, the gown still protects the back area of the body).

What methods should healthcare facilities consider in order to avoid unintentional loss of PPE during COVID-19?

Educating staff on proper use of PPE and monitoring PPE supply inventory and maintaining control over PPE supplies may help prevent unintentional product losses that may occur due to theft, damage, or accidental loss.

• Inventory systems should be employed to track daily usage and identify areas of higher than expected use. This information can be used to implement additional conservation strategies tailored to specific patient care areas such as hospital units or outpatient facilities.
• Inventory tracking within a health system may also assist in confirming PPE deliveries and optimizing distribution of PPE supplies to specific facilities.

Gowns

What type of gown is recommended for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19?

• Non-sterile, disposable patient isolation gowns, which are used for routine patient care in healthcare settings, are appropriate for use by patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

What type of gowns are available for healthcare personnel to protect from COVID-19?

Gowns are available that protect against microorganisms. The choice of gown should be made based on the level of risk of contamination. Certain areas of surgical and isolation gowns are defined as “critical zones” where direct contact with blood, body fluids, and/or other potentially infectious materials is most likely to occur.

• If there is a medium to high risk of contamination and need for a large critical zone, isolation gowns that claim moderate to high barrier protection can be used.
• For healthcare activities with low, medium, or high risk of contamination, surgical gowns, can be used. These gowns are intended to be worn by healthcare personnel during surgical procedures.
• If the risk of bodily fluid exposure is low or minimal, gowns that claim minimal or low levels of barrier protection can be used. These gowns should not be worn during surgical or invasive procedures, or for medium to high risk contamination patient care activities.

What is the difference between gowns and coveralls?

• CDC’s guidance for Considerations for Selecting Protective Clothing used in Healthcare for Protection against Microorganisms in Blood and Body Fluids provides additional comparisons between gowns and coveralls.
• Gowns are easier to put on and, in particular, to take off. They are generally more familiar to healthcare workers and hence more likely to be used and removed correctly. These factors also facilitate training in their correct use.
• Coveralls typically provide 360-degree protection because they are designed to cover the whole body, including the back and lower legs, and sometimes the head and feet as well. Surgical/isolation gowns do not provide continuous whole-body protection (e.g., they have possible openings in the back, and typically provide coverage to the mid-calf only).
• The level of heat stress generated due to the added layer of clothing is also expected to be less for gowns when compared to coveralls due to several factors, such as the openings in the design of gowns and total area covered by the fabric.

How do I put on (don) and take off (doff) my gown?

• Check to see if your facility has guidance on how to don and doff PPE. The procedure to don and doff should be tailored to the specific type of PPE that you have available at your facility.
• If your facility does not have specific guidance, the CDC has recommended sequences for donning and doffing of PPE.
• Healthcare providers should perform hand hygiene before and after removing PPE. Hand hygiene should be performed by using alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60-95% alcohol or washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If hands are visibly soiled, soap and water should be used before returning to alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Is it acceptable for emergency medical services to wear coveralls as an alternative to gowns when COVID-19 is suspected in a patient needing emergency transport?

• CDC’s Considerations for Selecting Protective Clothing used in Healthcare for Protection against Microorganisms in Blood and Body Fluids guidance provides a comparison between gowns and coveralls, including test methods and performance requirements.
• While no clinical studies have been done to compare gowns and coveralls, both have been used effectively by healthcare workers in clinical settings during patient care.
• Unlike patient care in the controlled environment of a healthcare facility, care and transport by EMS present unique challenges because of the nature of the setting.
• Coveralls are an acceptable alternative to gowns when caring for and transporting suspect COVID-19 patients.
• Coveralls typically provide 360-degree protection because they are designed to cover the whole body, including the back and lower legs, and sometimes the head and feet as well. This added coverage may be necessary for some work tasks involved in medical transport.
• However, coveralls may lead to increased heat stress compared to gowns due to the total area covered by the fabric.
• Training on how to properly remove (doff) a coverall is important to prevent self-contamination. Comparatively, gowns are easier to put on and, in particular, to take off.

Gloves

What type of glove is recommended to care for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients in healthcare settings?

• Nonsterile disposable patient examination gloves, which are used for routine patient care in healthcare settings, are appropriate for the care of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

What standards should be considered when choosing gloves?

• The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) external has developed standards for patient examination gloves.
• Standard specifications for nitrile gloves, natural rubber gloves, and polychloroprene gloves indicate higher minimum tensile strength and elongation requirements compared to vinyl gloves.
• The ASTM has developed standards for patient examination gloves. Length requirements for patient exam gloves must be a minimum of 220mm-230mm depending on glove size and material type.

Is double gloving necessary when caring for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients in healthcare settings?

• CDC guidance does not recommend double gloves when providing care to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients.

Are extended length gloves necessary when caring for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients in healthcare settings?

• According to CDC guidance, extended length gloves are not necessary when providing care to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients. Extended length gloves can be used, but CDC does not specifically recommend them at this time.

How I do put on (don) and take off (doff) my gloves?

• Check to see if your facility has guidance on how to don and doff PPE. The procedure to don and doff should be tailored to the specific type of PPE that you have available at your facility.
• If your facility does not have specific guidance, the CDC has recommended sequences for donning and doffing of PPE.
• Healthcare providers should perform hand hygiene before and after removing PPE. Hand hygiene should be performed by using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60-95% alcohol or washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If hands are visibly soiled, soap and water should be used before returning to alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Eye Protection

• Put on eye protection (e.g., goggles, a disposable face shield that covers the front and sides of the face) upon entry to the patient room or care area.
• Remove eye protection before leaving the patient room or care area. Reusable eye protection (e.g., goggles) must be cleaned and disinfected according to manufacturer’s reprocessing instructions prior to re-use. Disposable eye protection should be discarded after use.

Respirators

Should I wear a respirator, such as an N95 respirator, in public?

• CDC does not recommend the routine use of respirators outside of healthcare settings. Instead, CDC recommends everyday preventive actions to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, such as avoiding people who are sick, avoiding touching your eyes or nose with unwashed hands, and covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throwing the tissue in the trash.
• People who are sick should stay home and not go into crowded public places or visit people in hospitals. Workers who are sick should follow CDC guidelines and stay home when they are sick.
• If you are sick and must leave your house, please wear a mask to keep your germs from spreading to others.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone who will be in a public setting where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g. grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission, to wear a cloth face covering.
  • Multi-layered, tightly-woven 100% Cotton.  Use a thread count of 180 or higher. Don’t buy surgical or N95 masks.  
  • Avoid your face and remove it from behind.  Never touch the front of the mask, and always remove it from behind your head.  
  • Scrap it if it’s damaged, soiled, or doesn’t fit.  Make sure it’s breathable and fits snug. Don’t use it while it’s damp, wet, or dirty.  
  • Keep the mask and your hands clean.  Wash your hands before you put the mask on/after you take it off. Wash or dispose the mask after every use.
• Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
• Homemade face coverings/masks are another tool to keep people from unknowingly spreading the virus. 
• Use this acronym when considering safe, homemade mask use:

What is a respirator?

• A respirator is a personal protective device that is worn on the face or head and covers at least the nose and mouth. A respirator is used to reduce the wearer’s risk of inhaling hazardous airborne particles (including infectious agents), gases or vapors. Respirators, including those intended for use in healthcare settings, are certified by the CDC/NIOSH.

What is an N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR)?

• An N95 FFR is a type of respirator which removes particles from the air that are breathed through it. These respirators filter out at least 95% of very small (0.3 micron) particles. N95 FFRs are capable of filtering out all types of particles, including bacteria and viruses.

What are the two main types of masks for medical use?

There are two main types of masks for medical use – N95 or “facemasks” (also called surgical or earloop masks).

• N95 respirator masks are used by healthcare employees to protect from exposures to respiratory pathogens. They reduce the wearer’s exposure to particles including small particle aerosols and large droplets.
• Facemasks (also called surgical, procedure, or earloop masks) are fluid resistant and provides the wearer protection against large droplets, splashes, or sprays of bodily or other hazardous fluids. Protects the patient from the wearer’s respiratory emissions.

What is an N95 respirator?

N95 respirators are used by healthcare employees who have exposures to respiratory pathogens.

• They are tight‐fitting respirators that filter out at least 95% of particles in the air, including large and small particles.
• Before using an N95 respirator, workers must have a medical evaluation and be fit‐tested to make sure that they are able to wear a respirator safely and confirm a proper seal.
• When properly fitted and worn, minimal leakage occurs around edges of the respirator when the user inhales. This means almost all of the air is directed through the filter media.

What is a facemask (also called a surgical mask, procedure mask, or earloop mask)?

• If you are sick and must leave your house, please wear a mask to keep your germs from spreading to others.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone who will be in a public setting where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g. grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission, to wear a cloth face covering.
• Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
• Homemade face coverings/masks are another tool to keep people from unknowingly spreading the virus.   Use this acronym when considering safe, homemade mask use:
• Multi-layered, tightly-woven 100% Cotton.  Use a thread count of 180 or higher. Don’t buy surgical or N95 masks.  
• Avoid your face and remove it from behind.  Never touch the front of the mask, and always remove it from behind your head.  
• Scrap it if it’s damaged, soiled, or doesn’t fit.  Make sure it’s breathable and fits snug. Don’t use it while it’s damp, wet, or dirty.  
• Keep the mask and your hands clean.  Wash your hands before you put the mask on/after you take it off. Wash or dispose the mask after every use.
• They are loose‐fitting and provide only barrier protection against droplets, including large respiratory particles.
• The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N95 respirators. 
• No fit testing or seal check is necessary with facemasks. Most facemasks do not effectively filter small particles from the air and do not prevent leakage around the edge of the mask when the user inhales.

What is a Surgical N95 respirator and who needs to wear it?

• A surgical N95 (also referred as a medical respirator) is recommended only for use by healthcare personnel who need protection from both airborne and fluid hazards (e.g., splashes, sprays). These respirators are not used or needed outside of healthcare settings. In times of shortage, only personnel who are working in a sterile field or who may be exposed to high velocity splashes, sprays, or splatters of blood or body fluids should wear these respirators, such as in operative or procedural settings. Most personnel caring for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients should not need to use surgical N95 respirators and can use standard N95 respirators.
• If a surgical N95 is not available for use in operative or procedural settings, then an unhalved N95 respirator may be used with a face shield to help block high velocity streams of blood and body fluids.

My employees complain that Surgical N95 respirators are hot and uncomfortable – what can I do?

• The requirements for surgical N95 respirators that make them resistant to high velocity streams of body fluids and help protect the sterile field can result in a design that has a higher breathing resistance (makes it more difficult to breath) than a typical N95 respirator. Also, surgical N95 respirators are designed without exhalation valves, which are sometimes perceived as warmer inside the mask than typical N95 respirators.
• If you are receiving complaints, you may consider having employees who are not doing surgery, not working in a sterile field, or not potentially exposed to high velocity streams of body fluids wear a standard N95 with an exhalation valve.

My N95 respirator has an exhalation valve, is that okay?

An N95 respirator with an exhalation valve does provide the same level of protection to the wearer as one that does not have a valve.

• The presence of an exhalation valve reduces exhalation resistance, which makes it easier to breathe (exhale). Some users feel that a respirator with an exhalation valve keeps the face cooler and reduces moisture build up inside the face piece.
• However, respirators with exhalation valves should not be used in situations where a sterile field must be maintained (e.g., during an invasive procedure in an operating or procedure room) because the exhalation valve allows unfiltered exhaled air to escape into the sterile field.

How can I tell if a respirator is NIOSH-approved?

The NIOSH approval number and approval label are key to identifying NIOSH-approved respirators.

• The NIOSH approval label can be found on or within the packaging of the respirator or sometimes on the respirator itself. The required labeling of NIOSH- Approved N95 filtering face piece includes the NIOSH name, the approval number, filter designations, lot number, and model number to be printed on the respirator.
• You can verify that your respirator approvals are valid by checking the NIOSH Certified Equipment List (CEL).

How do I know if my respirator is expired?

NIOSH does not require approved N95 filtering face piece respirators (FFRs) be marked with an expiration date.

• If an FFR does not have an assigned expiration date, you should refer to the user instructions or seek guidance from the specific manufacturer on whether time and storage conditions (such as temperature or humidity) are expected to have an effect on the respirator’s performance and if the respirators are nearing the end of their shelf life.

What do I do with an expired respirator?

In times of increased demand and decreased supply, consideration can be made to use N95 respirators past their intended shelf life.

• However, the potential exists that the respirator will not perform to the requirements for which it was certified. Over time, components, such as the strap and nose bridge may degrade, which can affect the quality of the fit and seal.
• Prior to use of N95 respirators, the healthcare personnel should inspect the respirator and perform a seal check. Additionally, expired respirators may potentially no longer meet the certification requirements set by NIOSH.
• For further guidance, visit Considerations for Release of Stockpiled N95s Beyond the Manufacturer- Designated Shelf Life: Considerations for the COVID-19 Response.

Where can I find answers to other questions that aren’t included here?

Please visit the CDC’s Clinical Questions about COVID-19: Questions and Answers page for other questions and answers you may have.

Special Considerations for Medication-Assisted Treatment Providers

Contact the Kansas Opioid Treatment Authority with questions specific to opioid treatment programs:

• Cissy McKinzie: mckinzie@ks.gov or 1-785-296-4079
• Andrew Brown: brown@ks.gov or 1-785-291-3359

Check the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) website for guidance specific to Kansas. 

• Guidance for Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs)/Methadone Clinics Concerning 2019 Novel Coronavirus Illness
• Telephonic Substance Use Disorders Guidance

Check the CDC and SAMHSA websites frequently to find new guidance and trainings.

• See “Training and Technical Assistance Related to COVID-19” for the most up to date webinar offerings.
• OTP Guidance for Patients Quarantined at Home with the Coronavirus (PDF | 160 KB) 
• FAQs: Provision of Methadone and Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in the COVID-19 Emergency (PDF | 202 KB) 
• Use of Telemedicine While Providing Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) (PDF | 146 KB) 

Sedgwick County Drug Misuse Information website with local data and treatment resources.

• Contact the SCHD Epidemiology Program at Disease.Reporting@sedgwick.gov, if your facility’s information needs updated.

Online Resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Kansas Department of Health and Environment

SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration