COVID-19
A collection of resources from various organisations throughout the pandemic

World Health Organisation - Rational use of personal protective equipement (PPE) for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and considerations during severe shortages

This document summarizes WHO’s recommendations for the rational use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in health care and home care settings, as well as during the handling of cargo; it also assesses the current disruption of the global supply chain and considerations for decision making during severe shortages of PPE.

Free Training from World Health Organisation

Clinical Care Severe Acute Respiratory Infection

This course includes content on clinical management of patients with a severe acute respiratory infection. It is intended for clinicians who are working in intensive care units (ICUs) in low and middle-income countries and managing adult and pediatric patients with severe forms of acute respiratory infection (SARI), including severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis and septic shock. It is a hands-on practical guide to be used by health care professionals involved in clinical care management during outbreaks of influenza virus (seasonal) human infection due avian influenza virus (H5N1, H7N9), MERS-CoV, COVID-19 or other emerging respiratory viral epidemics.

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for Novel Coronavirus (COVID 19)

This course provides information on what facilities should be doing to be prepared to respond to a case of an emerging respiratory virus such as the novel coronavirus, how to identify a care once it occurs, and how to properly implement IPC measures to ensure these is no further transmission to HCW or to other patients and others in the healthcare facility.

This training is intended for healthcare workers and public health professionals as it is focused on infection prevention and control.

Introduction to emergency respiratory viruses, including novel coronavirus

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified in 2019 in Wuhan, China. This is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans.

This course provides a general introduction to COVID-19 and emerging respiratory viruses and is intended for public health professionals, incident managers and personnel working for the United Nations, international organisations and NGOs.

Employer referral portal for testing essential workers for COVID-19

The employer referral portal allows employers to refer essential workers who are self-isolating either because they or member(s) of their household have coronavirus symptoms, for testing. It is a secure portal for employers to use to upload the full list of names and contact details of self-isolating essential workers.

If referred through this portal, essential workers will receive a text message with a unique invitation code to book a test for themselves (if symptomatic) or their symptomatic household member(s) at a regional testing site.

In order to obtain a login, employers of essential workers should email portalservicedesk@dhsc.gov.uk with 

-  organisation name
-  nature of the organisation’s business
-  region
-  names (where possible) and email addresses of the 2 users who will load essential worker contact details

Once employer details have been verified, 2 login credentials will be issued for the employer referral portal.

Department of Health and Social Care - How to take a coronavirus self-test swab

Dr Amir Khan shows you how to self-administer a swab test for coronavirus. It’s a simple nasal and throat swab (this is different to the nasopharyngeal swab test). This is for the self-test kits in the UK – exact models may vary. Please always follow the written instructions provided with your kit. Please register your kit online per the instructions in your kit – otherwise you may not get your results.

Department of Health and Social Care - Visiting a regional test site for your coronavirus test (essential workers)

Find out about visiting a Regional Test Site in this animated walk-through of the process. We are making coronavirus tests available to more people. For the latest guidance, please see: www.gov.uk/coronavirus-get-tested

Department of Health and Social Care - Admission and Care of residents during COVID-19 Incident in Care Home

Care homes have a vital role to play in the UK, especially during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. DoHSC want to make sure you and your staff can continue to care for some of the most vulnerable in our society. With your help, we can help keep them safe and cared for.