This guidance has been developed during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic recognising the likelihood of a surge in other respiratory viruses in addition to COVID-19 over the winter season of 2021/22 and supersedes the 3 COVID-19 addenda (Acute, Care home and Community health and care settings) first published in October 2020

Key changes as we move from the COVID-19 addenda to Winter (21/22), Respiratory Infections in Health and Care Settings Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Addendum are;

• Removal of the 3 distinct COVID-19 care pathways (high/red, medium/amber and low/green) to respiratory and non–respiratory pathways
• A return to Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs) and Transmission Based Precautions (TBPs) as per National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) and the Care Home Infection Prevention and Control Manual (CHIPCM)
• An algorithm to support placement of service users within health and care settings
• Respiratory screening questions to include COVID-19 AND other respiratory pathogens
• Ongoing Rapid testing for COVID-19 AND to now include other respiratory pathogens in some settings