This page includes interim guidance on personal protective equipment for NP and throat swabs and for aerosol-generating medical procedures in health care setting.
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- Patients under investigation should be managed with contact and droplet precautions
Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and throat swabs can be performed using contact and droplet precautions, and HCW must wear gown, gloves, surgical/procedural mask and eye protection (face shield or goggles) and do not require the use of an N95 respirator.
Airborne precautions including N95 respirators with gown, gloves, surgical/procedural mask and eye protection (face shield or goggles) should be used during aerosol-generating medical procedures
- Download the Respiratory protection guidance (PDF).
- Hand hygiene – Clean all surfaces of hands and wrists.
- Gown – Cover torso and wrap around back, fasten in back of neck and waist.
- Surgical/procedure mask – Secure ties in middle of head and neck, fit nose band to your nose and pull on bottom down to completely cover chin.
- Eye protection – Place googles or face shield over face and eyes and adjust to fit.
- Gloves – Extend to cover wrist of gown
Download the
5 steps to Don (put on) Personal protective equipment (PPE) poster (PDF).
- Gloves – Remember, the outside of gloves are contaminated. Grasp palm area of one gloved hand and peel off first glove. Slide fingers of hand under other glove at wrist and peel off. Discard in regular waste.
- Perform hand hygiene – Clean all surfaces of hands and wrists.
- Gown – Unfasten ties, pull gown away from neck and shoulders, touching ONLY the inside of the gown. Turn gown inside out and roll into a bundle. Discard in regular garbage.
- Perform hand hygiene – Clean all surfaces of hands and wrists.
- Goggles or face shield – Do NOT touch the front of them. Discard in regular garbage or put in receptacle for reprocessing.
- Perform hand hygiene – Clean all surfaces of hands and wrists.
- Surgical/procedure mask – Grasp ties or elastics at back and remove WITHOUT touching the front. Discard in regular garbage.
- Perform hand hygiene – Clean all surfaces of hands and wrists.
- Exit room – AFTER cleaning all surfaces of hands, exit room.
