Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Hospitalized Patients with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

Suspected high rate of morbidity and mortality among infected patients
Evidence of limited human-to-human transmission
Poorly characterized clinical signs and symptoms
Unknown modes of transmission of MERS-CoV
Lack of a vaccine and chemoprophylaxis
Absence of confirmed or probable MERS-CoV cases in the United States

Selected Components of Standard, Contact, and Airborne Precautions Recommended for Prevention of MERS-CoV Transmission in Hospitals

For full details of these precautions, see 2007 Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Setting.

Component	Recommendation(s)	Comments
Patient placement	Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR)	If an AIIR is not available, the patient should be transferred as soon as is feasible to a facility where an AIIR is available. Pending transfer, place a facemask on the patient and isolate him/her in a single-patient room with the door closed. The patient should not be placed in any room where room exhaust is recirculated without high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration. Once in an AIIR, the patient’s facemask may be removed; the facemask should remain on if the patient is not in an AIIR. When outside of the AIIR, patients should wear a facemask to contain secretions Limit transport and movement of the patient outside of the AIIR to medically-essential purposes. Implement staffing policies to minimize the number of personnel that must enter the room.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Healthcare personnel (HCP)	Gloves Gowns Eye protection (goggles or face shield) Respiratory protection that is at least as protective as a fit-tested NIOSH-certified disposable N95 filtering facepiece respirator. If a respirator is unavailable, a facemask should be worn. In this situation respirators should be made available as quickly as possible.	Recommended PPE should be worn by HCP upon entry into patient rooms or care areas. Upon exit from the patient room or care area, PPE should be removed and either Discarded, or For re-useable PPE, cleaned and disinfected according to the manufacturer’s reprocessing instructions
Environmental Infection Control	Follow standard procedures, per hospital policy and manufacturers’ instructions, for cleaning and/or disinfection of: Environmental surfaces and equipment Textiles and laundry Food utensils and dishware

Preparedness

To aid providers and facilities, CDC has developed two checklists that identify key actions that can be taken now to enhance preparedness for MERS-CoV infection control.

Interim Home Care and Isolation Guidance

CDC has developed interim guidance for local and state health departments, infection prevention and control professionals, healthcare providers, and healthcare workers who are coordinating the home care and isolation of ill people who are being evaluated for MERS-CoV infection.