SARS-CoV-2: Infection Prevention and Control
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) is a scientific and practical approach designed to prevent harm caused by infections to patients and healthcare workers. It is based on knowledge of infectious diseases, epidemiology, social science and on health system strengthening. IPC occupies a unique position in the field of patient safety and quality universal health coverage since it is relevant to healthcare workers and patients at every single healthcare encounter. No country, no healthcare facility, even within the most advanced health systems, can claim to be completely free of the problem of healthcare-associated infections. The need for having IPC programmes nationally and at the facility level is clearly reinforced within the ”Global Reference List of 100 Core Health Indicators” of the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Italy, in response to the COVID-19 epidemic, the Istituto Superiore di Sanità has set up an ad hoc working group on infection prevention and control that is responsible, among other things, for the publication of a series of technical reports offering guidance on IPC.