It is important to make it easier for patients to bring their partner or relative with them to events such as giving birth, recovering from a serious illness or visiting a dying person.
The FHI was informed that visits were not possible in several hospitals.
Since March 2020, NIPH has advised that hospitals facilitate visits to patients and relatives, including during deliveries. Having a partner or other significant other is important to patients in many areas of health care and is described in the prioritization guide.
Infection control measures must be proportionate and medically justifiable
Infection control measures must be necessary, proportionate, targeted and medically justifiable. Specialist healthcare employs infection control measures to prevent the entry and spread of infection. The recommendations have been strengthened in the wake of the pandemic, allowing more focus on the implementation and enforcement of these infection control measures.
Assessment of advice on the presence of FHI partners or close relatives is based on the following factors:
-The visit of a partner or loved one is an important support for patients.
- Under COVID-19 regulations, relatives or other persons with suspected, probable, or confirmed COVID-19 are not permitted to visit hospitals or be companions.
-A system has been set up with a questionnaire about symptoms and behaviors that visitors have to answer. This is considered a good way to identify visitors with an increased risk of infection so that the hospital can implement infection control measures.
-Specialist health Service generally has a high level of infection control and has experience in implementing measures to prevent infectious disease, including COVID-19.
-In hospitals, in most cases it will be possible to make it easier for medical staff to stay more than one meter from a visitor so that they represent a very low risk of infection for medical staff. Visitors can also keep their distance from patients other than the one they are visiting.
-Healthcare workers may use personal protective equipment when distance cannot be kept and the risk of infection is considered to be high.
The advice covers the different variants of SARS-CoV-2.
FHI advice on visits to specialist health services, including the presence of a partner during labor, can be found in the Specialist Health Service - advice for visitors.
A visit of an infected person to hospital may result in the quarantine of many healthcare professionals
It is important to keep hospitals operating. A visit of an infected person to hospital may result in the quarantine of many healthcare professionals. Therefore, it is important that no one with symptoms of infection visits or accompanies hospitalized patients. If possible, avoid the risk of infection in the period leading up to the scheduled visit to the hospital. FHI is closely tracking data on infections in healthcare facilities through our Emergency Preparedness Registry. If we see an increase in infection, we'll adjust our guest advice. So far, we have not seen such a need during the pandemic.
