Table 1.
Checklist of preventive measures in our NICU during the COVID‐19 pandemic
| Maternity service | Mother | Tested if symptomatic or with a recent history of close contact with an individual testing positive for COVID‐19 |
| Isolation of mother and baby until swab test results are available | ||
| Pumping milk without breastfeeding until swab test results are available | ||
| NICU | Newborn | Nasopharyngeal swabs on admission and weekly thereafter |
| More frequent repetition of tests in the event of contact with an individual testing positive for COVID‐19 or showing symptoms | ||
| Quarantine zone for symptomatic patients or those who have been in contact with an individual testing positive for COVID‐19 | ||
| Thermostat‐controlled crib | ||
| Healthcare providers | Weekly nasopharyngeal swabs | |
| Repetition in the event of contact with an individual testing positive for COVID‐19 or showing symptoms | ||
| Surgical masks and gloves | ||
| Hand washing and 60% alcohol hand sanitizer | ||
| Protective clothing, gloves, and N95 masks for COVID‐19 positive or suspected newborn | ||
| Avoidance of close contact with other colleagues and parents | ||
| Restriction of face‐to‐face meetings, replaced with teleconferences | ||
| Supportive psychological service available | ||
| Parents | Triage | |
| Nasopharyngeal swabs on admission and weekly thereafter | ||
| Restricted access | ||
| Avoidance of close contact with parents | ||
| Standardized procedures for hand cleaning and wearing protective clothing before accessing the NICU | ||
| Supportive psychological service available |
Abbreviations: COVID‐19, coronavirus disease; NICU, neonatal intensive care unit.
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