Infection Prevention &

Control Care Champion

(IPCCC) ForumInfection Prevention & Control Team

E: InfectionPrevention@lancashire.gov.uk

W: http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/practitioners/health/infection-prevention-and-control.aspx

Introduction

Housekeeping

Presentation

IPC care champion responsibilities

Evaluation forms & certificates

‘Flu’

• What is ‘flu’?

• What is a ‘cold’?

• What's the difference?

• PHE guidance

• Prevention

• Scenario

• Quiz

What is ‘flu’?Taken from www.NHS.uk

• Flu is a common, infectious, viral illness spread by

coughs and sneezes.

• You can catch flu – short for influenza – all year

round, but it's especially common in winter, which

is why it's also known as "seasonal flu".

• It's not the same as the common cold.

• Flu is caused by a different group of viruses and the

symptoms tend to start more suddenly, be more

severe and last longer.

Flu symptoms…

• Flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include:

� a sudden fever - a temperature of 38C or above

� aching body

� feeling tired or exhausted

� dry, chesty cough

� sore throat

� headache

� difficulty sleeping

� loss of appetite

� diarrhoea or tummy pain

� nausea and being sick

What is a cold?Taken from www.NHS.uk

• A cold is a mild viral infection of the nose,

throat, sinuses and upper airways. It's very

common and usually clears up on its own within

a week or two.

Cold symptoms…

• The main symptoms of a cold include:

� a sore throat

� a blocked or runny nose

� sneezing

� a cough

What's the difference between

flu & a cold?

Flu Cold

Appears quickly within a few hours Appears gradually

Affects more than just your nose and throat

Affects mainly your nose and throat

Makes you feel exhausted and too unwell to carry on as normal

Makes you feel unwell but you’re okay to carry on as normal – for example, go to work

• Antibiotics aren’t recommended for colds & flu

because they won’t relieve your symptoms or

speed up the recovery.

• Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial

infections and colds & flu are caused by viruses.

Guidance

PHE ILI case definition for use in care

homes is as follows…

Oral or tympanic temperature ≥37.8C

AND one of the following:

acute onset of at least one of the following respiratory

symptoms: cough (with or without sputum), hoarseness, nasal

discharge or congestion, shortness of breath, sore throat,

wheezing, sneezing

OR

an acute deterioration in physical or mental ability without

other known cause

• Outbreak – REPORT, REPORT, REPORT!!!

• Incubation period

• Period of infectiousness

• Transmission routes

• Residents

• Staff

• Visitors

• Hand hygiene

• Cleaning

• PPE

What do you need to do?

The Flu Vaccine• A flu vaccine is available for free on the NHS for:

– anyone aged 65 and over

– pregnant women

– children and adults with an underlying health condition

(particularly long-term heart or lung disease)

– children and adults with weakened immune systems

• The best time to have the vaccine is in the autumn, from the

beginning of October to early November. If you think you need it,

contact your local GP surgery or local pharmacy.

• You should have the flu vaccination every year so you stay protected.

The viruses that cause flu change every year, so this winter's flu will be

different from last winter's, although it's not 100% effective because it

doesn't work against every possible type of flu virus.

Good Hygiene

• To reduce your risk of getting flu or spreading it to

other people, you should always:

– make sure you wash your hands regularly with soap

and warm water

– clean surfaces such as your keyboard, telephone and

door handles regularly to get rid of germs

– use tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you

cough or sneeze

– put used tissues in a bin as soon as possible

Scenario 1

What would you do?• 6 elderly residents in a care home all have Flu like

symptoms.

• The symptoms started and spread very quickly and

they became very ill in a short space of time and were

cared for in bed in their rooms.

• The residents were all seen by a GP and prescribed

antibiotics.

• Non of the residents improved.

Scenario 2

What would you do?• You are a carer in a nursing home with 30 residents.

• You have 10 residents, male and female, aged between

76-89, who over a 4 day period contract Flu like

symptoms.

• The symptoms range in severity from mild to severe.

• No action has been taken by the new manager who is

busy understanding the new role in the home.

• Each resident has a different GP.

So to summarise….• Flu symptoms tend to start more suddenly, be more severe and last

longer.

• A cold usually clears up on its own within a week or two.

• Antibiotics aren’t recommended for colds & flu because they are only

effective against bacterial infections and colds & flu are caused by viruses.

• 2 or more cases of ‘influenza like illness’ is classed as an outbreak and

should be reported to PHE immediately!

• Isolate infective residents where possible.

• Staff members who become unwell with ILI-related symptoms should be

excluded from work until they have recovered.

• Staff should ensure that they use appropriate personal protective

equipment (PPE) when looking after residents who are unwell.

Infection Prevention & Control

Team

E: InfectionPrevention@lancashire.gov.uk

W: http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/practitioners/health/infection-

prevention-and-control.aspx