Skip to content Skip to main menu Skip to utility menu

COVID-19/Flu isolation and swabbing update

January 4, 2023

Swabbing update:

On admission – patients should only be swabbed if they are symptomatic or clinically vulnerable.

Clinically vulnerable patients are defined as a person who has:

  • Down’s syndrome
  • Certain types of cancer (such as a blood cancer like leukaemia or lymphoma)
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4 or 5
  • Severe liver disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Had an organ or bone marrow transplant
  • Autoimmune or inflammatory conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease)
  • HIV or AIDS and have a weakened immune system
  • A condition affecting the immune system
  • Conditions affecting the brain or nerves (multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Huntington’s disease or myasthenia gravis)
  • Severe or multiple learning disabilities
  • A weakened immune system due to a medical treatment (such as steroid medicine, biological therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy)

During admission – swab any patient who develops symptoms immediately using PCR

COVID only discharges to care home/facilities– PCR test should be completed no more than 48 hours before discharge.

Isolation

COVID-19

Positive patients should be swabbed daily using lateral flow test (LFT) from day 4 (Day 0 is the date the First +VE swab was taken)

Following 2 consecutive negative results 24 hours apart and no temperature can be stepped down from isolation.

(When completing a LFT please ensure that the correct Powerform is completed within Unity)

Flu

During normal working (EMS Level 1/2) isolation can be stepped down at day 7 if the patient is asymptomatic

When the Trust is under severe pressure (EMS Level 3) on day 5 if the patient is asymptomatic Isolation can be stepped down.

For more information, please call ext. 5900 or email swb-tr.SWBH-Team-InfectionControl@nhs.net.