These guidelines are for managers and senior health workers in healthcare facilities, and is freely available for adaptation and use in any country. Read this together with the health facility clinical deskguide in the context of COVID-19 and the related training module.

They are based on COVID-19 guidelines from WHO, China and the UK etc.

Please send your edits (in track changes) and comments so we can improve this guideline to Professor John Walley, Clinical Professor of Public Health, Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, LIHS, University of Leeds [email protected]. Details will change with new evidence and experience.

The aim is to safely manage and investigate ill people with possible COVID-19 while continuing to provide other essential care and prevention.

This resource has been prepared by John Walley and COMDIS-HSD partner colleagues.

Key points

The COVID-19 epidemic evolved rapidly with spread from the first few cases and their contacts to communities. Everyone is susceptible to the infection and needs education about the virus. Symptoms in approximately 80% of the cases are mild with some asymptomatic, especially in children and young adults. Most people will not know they have the disease, and can spread it. Therefore social distancing or infection prevention measures are important.

Confirmed or suspected cases should isolate for 10 days. Only 15-20 % of cases may require treatment in hospital. Some, especially elderly or those with chronic diseases may get very ill and require oxygen or ventilator support. Within a few weeks of the epidemic there can be a steep climb in cases and deaths. After a few months the numbers stop rising and then start to decline. But after this first peak of cases other epidemics with peaks of cases can follow.