• Wanda Cornistein, Javier Desse, Yanina Nuccetelli, Daniela Santonato, Viviana M Rodríguez, Analía De Cristófano, María Inés Staneloni, María Paula Herrera, and Angel Colque.
• Servicio de Prevención y Control de Infecciones, Hospital Universitario Austral, Pte Derqui, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. E-mail: wandacornistein@gmail.com.
• Medicina (B Aires). 2021 Jan 1; 81 (2): 241-251.

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on public health and the global economy. The objective of this document was to update, according to the available evidence, the management of some basic elements in the Infection Control Programs (PCI) and the daily care of patients. As a result: 1. The routine use of the N95 masks is not recommended for the care of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients. Available data indicates that SARS-CoV-2 has spread primarily like most other common respiratory viruses, through droplet and contact transmission. In certain situations, personto-person transmission is described through the airway, observed in poorly ventilated environments, and while the individual carried out actions of greater potential transmission 2. The limited reuse and decontamination methods of N95 masks are accepted under safe and effective prot ocols in the context of limited resources. 3. The isolation of patients with COVID-19 can be lifted under a strategy based on the clinic, individual risk factors and time of evolution of the disease. 4. PCR control is not required in confirmed cases to determine epidemiological discharge. 5. Current evidence shows that there is a possibility of reinfection although its diagnosis is difficult. 6. The measurement of antibodies has a specific role in prevalence studies, diagnosis of multisystemic inflammatory syndrome and a picture compatible with negative PCR after the 7th. day.

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