Protecting Your Patients and Practice from COVID-19
This page is your resource for how to test and treat your patients suspected of COVID-19 as well as how to protect your practice and staff from spreading infection. Visit our practice business page and professional page for how else you can manage issues important to you during the public health emergency.
Contacting DC Health
If you need to contact DC Health with a question about a patient, call 202-576-1117 during business hours OR 844-493-2652 after business hours. Do not have your patient call DC Health. You can also email coronavirus@dc.gov
If you have issues reaching DC Health or communicating on behalf of your patient, contact us at (202) 466-1800 x101.
Information about types of tests
- Testing information is constantly being updated so bookmark this page
- The CDC has released new guidance on antibody testing - see here
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes a distinction between "approved products" and "emergency use authorizations" (EUAs). EUA tests are approved for emergency situations where suitable alternatives do not exists.
- On May 21, the FDA published a list of antibody tests removed from its "notification" list - see here
- More information on various tests:
- List of all approved molecular diagnostic and serolgical (antibody) tests and medical devices authorized under an EUA
- EUA Authorized Serology Test Performance information
- Therapeutics information
District of Columbia information
- The list of all District public testing sites can be found here (this page is constantly updated)
- DC Health - Specimen submission guidelines here. As of April 20, you no longer need DC Health approval to order a test at a Public Health Laboratory - read here. As of May 6, you do need to report the results of all tests to DC Health - see here.
- DC Public Health Laboratory - See here for guidance on how to correctly submit samples to the PHL.
Previous guidance
- CDC - Clinical guidance on collecting and handling COVID-19 specimens (4/29/20)
- AMA - CPT code for COVID-19 testing UPDATED
- LabCorp information on testing
- Quest testing information
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) information
- MSDC site for members to purchase PPE - coming soon
- CDC - Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of PPE (4/22/20)
- CDC - PPE burn rate calculator to help plan the amount of PPE needed
- DC Health - The DC Health and Medical Coalition has a PPE request form it encourages all practices to complete to request equipment - see here. Carefully read the criteria and qualifications.
- DC Health - May 13 guidance on universal masking and healthcare professionals returning to work; guidance on April 25 for the healthcare workplace, masks, and returning to work - see here. (March 25 guidance and scenarios)
- Information on Facility Protection from COVID-19 Infections
- CDC main page for healthcare practitioners with COVID-19 patients
- CDC - Infection control guidance (5/18/20)
- DC Health - Guidance for HCP monitoring, restriction, and return to work with suspected COVID-19 exposure (3/21/20)
- CDC - Return-to-work criteria for health care personnel (4/30/20)
- CDC - FAQ on Infection Control (5/20/20)
- Caring for a Patient with COVID-19
- DC Health - Interim guidance for outpatient pediatric providers (4/19/20)
- DC Health - Guidance on testing and discontinuing home isolation (3/20/20)
- DC Health - Health notices for practitioners with District patients here (updated 5/22/20)
- Information on Facility Protection from COVID-19 Infections