Infection prevention and control in the context of COVID-19: a guideline, 21 December 2023

Overview

The Infection prevention and control in the context of COVID-19: a guideline consolidates technical guidance developed and published during the COVID-19 pandemic into evidence-informed recommendations for infection prevention and control (IPC). This guideline is available both online and PDF. 

Understanding the updated section

The update to this guideline considers the transition from critical emergency-response activities to longer-term, sustained COVID-19 disease prevention, control and management, and a shift towards integration of IPC activities into routine systems and practices. This includes an emphasis on standard and transmission-based precautions in health-care settings, and the adoption of public health practices for community settings. Updated recommendations for health-care facilities include a focus on the hierarchy of control measures, standard and transmission-based precautions and water, sanitation and hygiene measures. The prevention of health care-associated infections involves a multi-pronged and multi-factorial approach that includes infection prevention and control and occupational health and safety measures.

Periodicity of the guideline revision and updates

In accordance with WHO methodology, several updates to the IPC COVID guideline were completed during the period of the pandemic response, informed by emerging evidence and consultation with the Guideline Development Group (GDG). Considering the current context of COVID-19, with the transition from emergency status with a return to normative IPC practices, this update transitions the format from a living guideline to a guideline.

Translated versions of the Executive summary of the guideline are available at the following links:

Arabic | Chinese I French I Russian I Spanish