Public health management of acute respiratory infection in care homes, community social care and other residential settings
Guidance for health protection teams (HPTs)

Significant updates to outbreak management and visiting arrangements chapter to incorporate the Anne’s law code of practice.

An email template and guide to assist HPTs when supporting care home outbreaks have been added.

Language around transmission based precautions revised in accordance with changes in the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) and the Care Home Infection Prevention and Control Manual (CHIPCM).

The key changes from version 1.0 (December 2024) include the following.

• Higher-risk settings are defined based on the vulnerability of service users within the setting rather than the risk of transmission within the setting.
• Health protection teams should conduct risk assessment during an outbreak in a closed setting regarding post-exposure prophylaxis in the wider closed setting and should advise primary and other health care professionals accordingly. The scientific evidence underpinning post-exposure prophylaxis in a higher-risk setting is provided.
• World Health Organization recommends using no new linked symptomatic or confirmed cases for two maximal incubation periods from the last possible exposure to a case as a guide for declaring an outbreak over.
• During an outbreak, HPTs should support care providers to meet the legislative requirements of Anne’s Law whilst balancing risk of transmission and illness as required under the Public Health Act, 2008.

First publication.