[Report on COVID-19 infection prevention and control training sessions for care homes provided by Kawaguchi city and comparison with those provided by the local governments in Japan].

Abstract

Objectives　We compared COVID-19 prevention and control information provided to care homes (CHs) by the Kawaguchi City public health center (PHC), which utilizes our precedent advice on nfection, with the information from several local governments (LGs) in Japan. This study aimed to highlight the role of LG-associated doctors in providing information to CHs, utilizing their precedent advice on infection control in CHs and medical facilities. This study analyzed the sector and type of information the LGs should provide to CHs to prevent and control COVID-19.Methods　We compared training sessions on COVID-19 prevention and control information provided to CHs by the Kawaguchi City PHC with training sessions offered by several other LGs in Japan that are available on their websites.Results　The Kawaguchi City PHC has been providing COVID-19 information to CHs when needed, including prevention and control information, through their doctors, utilizing our precedent advice on infection control, management of health conditions of staff and residents, and early detection of COVID-19. In contrast, 68 LGs announced that they have provided training sessions to CHs for the prevention and control of COVID-19 through their official homepages from March to September 2022. These training sessions involved information dissemination by infection control specialist nurses (42.6%), clinic or hospital doctors (32.4%), infection control specialist doctors (11.8%), and staff from LG headquarters, PHC, or LG-associated doctors (51.5%). Among the 68 LGs, 41 provided information that included hand hygiene (95.1%), personal protective equipment (92.7%), proper ventilation (51.2%), and management of staff (90.2%) and resident (58.5%) health conditions. Furthermore, Kawaguchi City PHC and several LGs provided information for the early detection of COVID-19.Conclusion　We suggest that LGs provide COVID-19 training sessions conducted by LG doctors that include management of staff and resident health conditions, provision of early detection information, and utilization of precedent advice on infection in CHs and medical facilities.