Successful secondary infection prevention using the standard precautions recommended by dialysis-related societies and hemodialysis with cohort isolation at a hemodialysis clinic after the identification of a COVID-19-positive outpatient

Abstract

Our outpatient maintenance hemodialysis clinic, which does not have any beds, is located in Kanagawa Prefecture, where a large number of COVID-19 patients have been identified. Patients that undergo outpatient dialysis at the clinic adhere to the standard precautions recommended by dialysis-related societies, such as wearing a mask, and frequently and sufficiently washing their hands. This paper reports the approaches we used to successfully prevent secondary infections after the identification of a hemodialysis patient that had been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (i.e., COVID-19). In addition to continuously complying with the standard precautions, we fixed the times and participants of the dialysis sessions for the patients that had received dialysis at the same time as the COVID-19 patient; postponed non-essential and non-emergency examinations, consultations, and surgery; and implemented infection control measures (dialysis with cohort isolation) for 2 weeks after the infection was detected. Continuous compliance with the standard precautions specified by the dialysis-related societies as basic measures, including the use of masks and hand washing, was effective at preventing secondary infections.