You Asked: Are all staff required to wear an N95 when there is a positive case in a nursing facility?
We Answered: No, all staff are not required to be in an N95 when there is a positive case. The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) confirmed that facilities can have a policy where staff don their N95 just prior to entering a quarantine or isolation room. Facilities may choose to have a stricter protocol where all staff are in N95s when there is an uncontrolled outbreak. CDC’s guidance states the approach to an outbreak investigation should take into consideration whether the facility has the experience and resources to perform individual contact tracing, the vaccination acceptance rates of staff and residents, whether the index case is a healthcare worker or resident, whether there are other individuals with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection identified at the same time as the index resident, and the extent of potential exposures identified during the evaluation of the index resident.
Facilities can refer to the CDC’s Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic guidance and the CDC’s Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Spread in Nursing Homes for further guidance and considerations.