The document outlines the role of nurses at Community Health Centres in preventing and responding to COVID-19, including educating communities on handwashing, respiratory hygiene, and social distancing; screening and triaging patients; ensuring adequate PPE and sanitation; monitoring those in self-isolation; and supporting contact tracing and access to testing and treatment. Nurses are tasked with prevention through health teaching, control of spread at CHCs, and individual prevention measures.

1. Role of nurse at Community
Health Centre in covid-19
Alka Mishra
Public Health Nurse
VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital New Delhi

2. Content
• What is Covid-19?
• How its spread?
• Sign and symptoms
• Diagnosis
• Role of Nurse at CHC
• Prevention
• Detection
• Response

3. What is covis-19
• COVID-19 is the infectious disease
caused by the most recently discovered
coronavirus. This new virus and disease
were unknown before the outbreak
began in Wuhan, China, in December
2019. COVID-19 is now a pandemic
affecting many countries globally.

4. How it spreads
• Spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets
from the nose or mouth
• These droplets can land on objects and surfaces around the
person such as tables, doorknobs and handrails.
• People can become infected by touching these objects or
surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth

5. Sign & Symptoms
• Fever
• Dry cough, and tiredness
• Some patients may have aches and pains,
• Nasal congestion,
• Sore throat or diarrhoea.
• Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing
hospital treatment.
• Around 1 out of every 5 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill
• People with co-morbidities are at greater risk for complications

6. Diagnosis
• Confirmation of diagnosis based on lab
test
• A swab test: The lab will take a special
cotton swab and sample the inside of the
throat or nose
• A nasal aspirate: The lab will inject a
saline solution into your nose, then
remove the sample with gentle suction.
• A tracheal aspirate: A thin, lighted tube
called a bronchoscope goes into your
lungs, where a sample will be collected.
• A sputum test: Sputum is a variation of
mucus from your lungs that can be
coughed out or sampled from the nose
with a swab

7. Role of Nurse at CHC
• Prevention
• Control
• Response

8. Prevention
Prevention at
Community
level
Prevention at
Community
Health Centre
Prevention at
individual
level

9. Prevention at community level
Organize and carry out
social media campaigns
to promote social
distancing and advocate
for timely policies.
01
Encourage strategies in
their neighbourhoods
and online to promote
mental and physical
health and resilience.
02
Arrange food and
medications to the
elderly, poor,
immigrants, and other
vulnerable residents.
03

10. What Health Teaching Should I Be Providing To Community
Members?
Hand washing-
• Frequency and
• Technique
1
Respiratory
hygiene
2
What to do if
feeling sick
3

11. Hand washing
• Regular proper handwashing with soap and water
• After contact with high-touch surfaces
• Before and after touching the face o
• Before and after handling food
• After using the washroom o
• Use alcohol-based (minimum 60% ethyl alcohol) hand sanitizers
if soap and water are not available
• Regularly cleaning high touch surfaces
• Closing the lid of the toilet when flushing o There is a risk of
“fecal shedding” with COVID-19

12. Respiratoty hygiene
Staying home
when sick
Avoiding close
contact with
people who are
sick
Covering cough
and sneezes
Coughing into
flexed elbow
Coughing into
tissues and
discarding
Wear mask
How to dispose
masks

13. What to do if feeling sick
Calling the clinic
before visiting
if you are
experiencing any
Influenza-Like Illness
(ILI) or COVID-19
symptoms

14. Prevention at Community Health Centre
Triage of patients

15. Arrange separate
waiting area for
patients with ILI
Identify a Lead within
your Health Centre or
Nursing Station who will
complete and regularly
review COVID-19
Readiness Assessment for
Nursing Stations and
Health Centres
Follow routine
infection practices
which include:
Applying basic
principles of
Infection Control
and additional
precautions
Respiratory hygiene: If
patients have refused
to mask, ask patient to
cough into tissue and
to discard, then wash
hands
• Perform hand
hygiene immediately
after contact with
respiratory secretions
Appropriate
equipment and
cleaning materials
should be available
and used
Regularly cleaning
and disinfection
environmental
surfaces.
Educate all staff about
this situation and
specifically about how
the virus is spread.
Ensure that you have
the appropriate
Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)
available.
Keep up to date with
the latest information
and clinical guidelines

16. When to
wash hands

17. Disinfection of all
the surfaces and
equipment once
daily or each time
after coming in
contact with
patients. Using 1%
sodium
hypochlorite
01
Patient care items
and surfaces that
can contribute to
the spread of
infection include:
02
· Stethoscopes ·
Blood pressure cuffs
· Monitors ·
Stretchers,
backboards, and
immobilization
devices ·
Laryngoscope
blades
Radios/mobiles ·
Shelves · Door
handles · Other
items and surfaces
which are touched
very often

18. Managing community services
With help of ASHA’s and ANM’s
inform community about
cancellation of immunization
Schedule
Telephonic follow up
with the specific sub-
population groups such
as-
Pregnant women with
EDD in current month &
all High-risk pregnancy
New-Borns, Children
due for immunization,
Children with SAM
(severe or acute
malnourishment),
Patients on treatment for TB, leprosy,
HIV and viral hepatitis, patients with
hypertension, diabetes, COPD, mental
health, etc

19. Prevention at individual level
1
Take droplet
and contact
precautions
while
dealing with
patients.
2
Use PPE
depending
upon type of
potential
exposure
3
Clean your
hands often.
Use soap and
water, or an
alcohol-based
hand rub.
4
Maintain a
safe distance
from anyone
who is
coughing or
sneezing.
5
Don’t touch
your eyes,
nose or
mouth.
6
Cover your
nose and
mouth with
your bent
elbow or a
tissue when
you cough or
sneeze.
7
Stay home if
you feel
unwell.
8
If you have a
fever, a cough,
and difficulty
breathing,
seek medical
attention
9
Remaining
calm: high
stress
increases the
risk of
becoming
vulnerable to
many illnesses

20. Detect
Learn the signs and
symptoms of COVID-19
and help staff to answer
questions from the
public.
Refer possible COVID-19
patients to Physician
locate their nearest
testing centre and
organize transportation.

21. Respond
Call
people with
COVID-19
who are in
self-isolation
with mild
symptoms
and monitor
them for
worsening
symptoms.
Special
Emphasis
Special
emphasis on
patients
with co-
existing
diseases
Provide
Provide
moral
support and
organize
food
deliveries
for people
with COVID-
19 at home.
Monitor
patients for
worsening
symptoms
and support
rapid
referral of
people who
require
hospitalizati
on.
Support
*contact tracing
*symptom
reporting
monitoring of
contacts of
COVID-19 patients
* ensure access
to testing and
treatment for
people who
develop signs and
symptoms.
Help
Help
hospitals
and non-
profits raise
funds for the
most
vulnerable.

22. Resources
1. https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/advice-on-
the-use-of-point-of-care-immunodiagnostic-tests-for-covid-19
2. https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Poster_Corona_ad_Eng.pdf
3. https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/EssentialservicesduringCOVID19upd
ated0411201.pdf
4. https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/StandardOperatingProcedureSOPfo
rtransportingasuspectorconfirmedcaseofCOVID19.pdf

23.  Call at Ministry of Health, Govt. of
India’s 24X7 control room number
 +91-11-2397 8046
 Email at ncov2019@gmail.com