Doffing Corridor: Establishing Expedited High-Volume Doffing With Exposure Reduction to Contaminated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in a COVID-19 Hospital in India.

Background Considering the virulent nature of the COVID-19, the safety of healthcare workers (HCW) became a challenge for hospital administrators. Wearing a personal protective equipment (PPE) kit, called donning, which can be easily done by the help of another staff. But correctly removing the infectious PPE kit (doffing) was a challenge. The increased number of HCWs for COVID-19 patient care raised the opportunity to develop an innovative method for the smooth doffing of PPEs. Objective We aimed to design and establish an innovative PPE doffing corridor in a tertiary care COVID-19 hospital during the pandemic in India with a heavy doffing rate and minimize the COVID-19 virus spread among healthcare workers. Methodology A prospective, observational cohort study at the COVID-19 hospital, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India, was conducted from July 19, 2020, to March 30, 2021. The time taken for PPE doffing process of HCWs was observed and compared between the doffing room and doffing corridor. The data was collected by a public health nursing officer using Epicollect5 mobile software and Google forms. The following parameters, like grade of satisfaction, time and volume of doffing, the errors in the steps of doffing, rate of infection, were compared between the doffing corridor and the doffing room. The statistical analysis was done by the use of SPSS software. Result 'Doffing corridor' decreased the overall doffing time by 50% compared to the initial doffing room. The doffing corridor solved the purpose of accommodating more HCWs for PPE doffing and an overall saving of 50% time. Fifty-one percent of HCWs rated the satisfaction rate as Good in the grading scale. The errors in the steps of doffing that occurred in the doffing process were comparatively lesser in the doffing corridor. The HCWs who doffed in the doffing corridor were three times less likely to get self-infection than the conventional doffing room. Conclusion Since COVID-19 was a new pandemic, the healthcare organizations focused on innovations to combat the spread of virus. One of these was an innovative doffing corridor to expedite the doffing process and decrease the exposure time to the contaminated items. The doffing corridor process can be considered at a high-interest rate to any hospital dealing with infectious disease, with high working satisfaction, less exposure to the contagion, and less risk of infection.

Emerging Bacterial Pathogens in the COVID-19 Era: Chryseobacterium gleum -A Case in Point.

Introduction In the ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic, a long hospital stay and empirical broad-spectrum antibiotics make the patients prone to acquire nosocomial infections especially with unconventional organisms, and Chryseobacterium gleum is one such rare nosocomial pathogen. Methods The given study is a case-series-based study conducted from September 2020 to April 2021 in which clinically suspected pneumonia patients who recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were included. Results Seventeen C. gleum isolates were obtained in pure culture from the tracheal aspirates of nine COVID-19 patients (including repeat samples to rule out colonization) within a period of eight months (September 2020-April 2021). Our records showed that there has been an increase in the number of isolates of C. gleum obtained in respiratory samples in 2020. We also did a review of literature of all the cases of C. gleum pneumonia reported till now. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the isolation of this rare pathogen from COVID-19 patients with clinical significance in a large cohort of patients. Therefore, it becomes important to consider this pathogen as a significant cause of respiratory infections, especially in patients recovered post COVID-19.

Quantification of diurnal variation in "glove hygiene" compliance in COVID ICUs: An exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene compliance (HHC) monitoring is almost always done in daytime. Documentation of HHC in health care workers (HCWs) is limited during odd hours and nighttime. The objective of the study was to determine diurnal variation in HHC in different categories of health care workers in tertiary care hospital in North India. METHODS: A prospective, observational study was conducted in 3 COVID-19 intensive care units (ICUs) with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. Dedicated infection control nurses monitored HHC among various HCWs (doctors, nursing staff, technicians, hospital and sanitary attendants) during day and nighttime, in 20-minute durations. The difference in HHC by-professional category and for each WHO moment was assessed using χ² test and P value. RESULTS: A total of 705 opportunities were observed over a period of 7 days, with overall compliance of 53%. Day and nighttime compliance was recorded to be 60.7% and 42.1%, respectively (P < .001). HCC was highest amongst resident doctors with little diurnal variation. However, nurses and housekeeping staff exhibited significant diurnal variation. The compliance at "after" moments was much higher than "before" moments in all professional categories. CONCLUSION: There was a significant decrease in compliance during nighttime, amongst all HCWs, with maximum variation exhibited by nursing staff. The present study underlines the importance of monitoring HHC at odd hours, to elicit a more accurate picture round the clock. Health care facilities monitoring compliance only during the daytime may substantially overestimate HHC.

Extensive multifocal emphysematous osteomyelitis of spine: A rare case and a review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Emphysematous osteomyelitis (EO) is an extremely rare form of osteomyelitis which is complicated mainly by infection with gas-forming organisms. The common causative agents of this disease are mainly members of Enterobacteriaceae family, the most common are Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneu¬moniae along with anaerobes. A total of 48 cases of EO have been reported in the literature till now globally and none have documented the isolation of Corynebacterium amycolatum. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a rare case of emphysematous osteomyelitis of the spine and pelvis due to Escherichia coli along with the isolation of Corynebacterium amycolatum from the same pus samples in two consecutive occasions in a 50-year-old female with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, who was successively treated with antibiotics and drainage of pus. We also did a brief review of the literature of all cases reported till now. CONCLUSION: The role of Corynebacterium amycolatum in the etiology of emphysematous osteomyelitis needs to be evaluated further in future studies as we cannot completely ignore its isolation in two consecutive samples as a mere contaminant.

COVID-19 management: Opportunity to reassess protocols?

The COVID 19 pandemic ravaged the globe with a remarkable ferocity and has not entirely abated till now with cases flaring up at various places at different times. The expected course is for it to become endemic with recurring exacerbations. Over the past two years, we have become wiser to its pathology, diagnosis, and treatment. However, it is imperative for us to regularly and consistently reassess our protocols to assimilate the current and ever-growing knowledge in this direction. Doing so will help us to use our resources judiciously, improve patient care, and enhance the overall benefit to stakeholders. In this article, we aim draw the researchers' attention to few issues which may not be at the forefront at this point in time but important nevertheless. These include the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), universal gloving, isolation criteria, and handling of dead bodies, among others. We hope that a reassessment of the challenges involved in the said procedures will help us to be better prepared to face and tackle potential future waves and the multiple challenges that would potentially ensue post-spikes in infection incidences.

COVID-19 management: Opportunity to reassess protocols?

The COVID 19 pandemic ravaged the globe with a remarkable ferocity and has not entirely abated till now with cases flaring up at various places at different times. The expected course is for it to become endemic with recurring exacerbations. Over the past two years, we have become wiser to its pathology, diagnosis, and treatment. However, it is imperative for us to regularly and consistently reassess our protocols to assimilate the current and ever-growing knowledge in this direction. Doing so will help us to use our resources judiciously, improve patient care, and enhance the overall benefit to stakeholders. In this article, we aim draw the researchers’ attention to few issues which may not be at the forefront at this point in time but important nevertheless. These include the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), universal gloving, isolation criteria, and handling of dead bodies, among others. We hope that a reassessment of the challenges involved in the said procedures will help us to be better prepared to face and tackle potential future waves and the multiple challenges that would potentially ensue post-spikes in infection incidences.

Surface contamination by SARS-CoV2 RNA in dedicated COVID care area of a tertiary care hospital in North India.

Environmental surfaces are potential source of SARS-CoV2 transmission. The study assessed the efficacy of hospital disinfection policy and contamination of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) RNA in COVID management Hospital. Inanimate surfaces from both patient areas (n = 70) and non-patient areas (n = 39) were sampled through surface swabbing and subjected to Reverse transcriptase PCR. Out of the 70 samples collected from the COVID hospital, SARS-CoV2 RNA positivity of 17.5% (7/40) and 6.7% (2/30) was seen in high risk and moderate risk area respectively. Samples from Non COVID related patient area such as CD ward and administrative block were assessed and the SARS CoV-2 RNA positivity was 0% and 10% respectively. Among the total 8 environmental surface samples positive for SARS-CoV2 RNA detected from the area surrounding the SARS-CoV2 infected patients, maximum positivity of 31.8% (7/22) was found among the environmental samples collected around the patients with < 20 Ct value in nasopharyngeal swab samples followed by 3.3% positivity (1/30) around patients with Ct value ranging from 20 to 25 whereas no SARS-CoV2 RNA (0/5) was detected around the patient with > 25 Ct value. Nearly 50% (2/4) of the surface samples came positive from the resident PPE and mobile of the treating doctors which largely elaborates the need for stringent doffing measurement and hand hygiene policy post doffing. The study emphasizes the necessity of frequent and aggressive disinfection policy to prevent nosocomial infection in such high risk areas within close vicinity of the patients.

Nosocomial Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in a Non-COVID Zone of a Tertiary Care Hospital of North India: Need to Upgrade Infection Control Practices.

BACKGROUND: Hospital acquired infections are preventable cause for morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the current pandemic era proper implementation of infection control measures can prevent the spread of such infections including SARS-CoV 2. The study was done to identified the source and reason for spread of COVID-19 infection and devise recommendations to halt the progress of infection in a non-COVID area. METHODS: An outbreak in a non-COVID area of a tertiary care hospital was investigated by the infection control team along with the epidemiologist when they were notified about the rising cases of COVID-19 from Advanced Trauma Center's (ATC) disaster ward. The time, place and person distribution of the cases were studied. Recommendations based on gaps identified were developed onsite and implemented to control the outbreak. RESULTS: The outbreak lasted from 19th December 2020 to 12th January 2021, affecting 34 people (25 patients and 9 health care workers). The attack rate was 9.2%. We identified the causes of current outbreak as compromises in infection prevention measures, high bed patient ratio, irregularities in the ventilation system, overcrowding by patient attendants and communication gaps between nursing officers and doctors. Measures required to control the outbreak were implemented and no cases were reported for 2 weeks following the last positive case. CONCLUSION: Non-COVID areas of hospitals are also at risk of nosocomial outbreaks of SARS-CoV 2 and therefore strict infection prevention measures those designated to COVID areas should be followed in non-COVID zones also to prevent such outbreaks.

Bacterial coinfections and secondary infections in COVID-19 patients from a tertiary care hospital of northern India: Time to adhere to culture-based practices.

OBJECTIVE: Bacterial co-pathogens are common in various viral respiratory tract infections, leading to increased disease severity and mortality. Still, they are understudied during large outbreaks and pandemics. This study was conducted to highlight the overall burden of these infections in COVID-19 patients admitted to our tertiary care hospital, along with their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the six-month study period, clinical samples (blood samples, respiratory samples, and sterile body fluids, including cerebrospinal fluid [CSF]) of COVID-19 patients with suspected bacterial coinfections (at presentation) or secondary infections (after 48 hours of hospitalization) were received and processed for the same. RESULTS: Clinical samples of 814 COVID-19 patients were received for bacterial culture and susceptibility. Out of the total patient sample, 75% had already received empirical antibiotics before the samples were sent for analysis. Overall, 17.9% of cultures were positive for bacterial infections. Out of the total patients with bacterial infection, 74% (108/146) of patients had secondary bacterial infections (after 48 hours of hospitalization) and 26% (38/146) had bacterial coinfections (at the time of admission). Out of the 143 total isolates obtained, the majority (86%) were gram-negative organisms, of which Acinetobacter species was the commonest organism (35.6%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (18.1%). The majority (50.7%) of the pathogenic organisms reported were multidrug resistant. CONCLUSION: The overall rate of secondary bacterial infections (SBIs) in our study was lower (7.9%) than reported by other studies. A rational approach would be to adhere to the practice of initiating culture-based guidance for antibiotics and to restrict unnecessary empirical antimicrobial therapy.

Performance of Health Care Workers in Doffing of Personal Protective Equipment Using Real-Time Remote Audio-Visual Doffing Surveillance System: Its Implications for Bio-Safety Amid COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background Very little has been reported about health care workers' (HCWs) adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines of doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Real-time remote audio-visual doffing surveillance (RADS) system for assisting doffing might reduce the risk of self-contamination. We used this system to determine the incidence of the breach in biosafety during doffing of PPE among HCWs involved in the care of Covid-19 patients. Methods A total of 100 HCWs were enrolled in this observational study who performed duties in the COVID intensive care unit (ICU) of our tertiary care centre. With a real-time RADS system, trained observers from remote locations assisted HCWs during doffing of PPE and noted breach at any step using the CDC doffing checklist. The breach was considered major if committed during removal of gloves/gown/N-95 or if ≥3 errors occurred in any other steps. Results Overall, 40% of the HCWs committed a breach during doffing at least one step. The majority of the errors were observed during hand hygiene (34%), followed by glove removal (12%) and N-95 removal (8%). Nineteen percent of HCWs committed the major breach, out of which 37.5% were done by house-keeping sanitation staff (p = 0.008 and RR 2.85; 95% CI of 1.313-6.19), followed by technicians (22.5%), nursing staff (16.7%) and resident doctors (6.5%). Conclusions Performing doffing using a real-time RADS system is associated with a relatively low incidence of a breach in biosafety compared with earlier studies using an onsite standard observer. Overall adherence of HCWs to the CDC guidelines of doffing PPE was satisfactory. This study highlights the importance of the RADS system during doffing of PPE in a health care setting amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reasons for quarantine and positivity rate among quarantined Health Care Workers (HCWs) in North India

Background WHO has declared the COVID-19 as Pandemic on 11th March, 2020. It is important to break the chain of transmission by quarantining the persons with high-risk exposure. Understanding the reasons for quarantine will help in reducing the exposures and thus reducing the chances of quarantine. Methods A validated risk assessment tool based on National Centre for Disease Control guidelines was used for the risk assessment of HCWs. The forms of HCWs who underwent risk assessment between April-November, 2020 were analyzed for reasons of quarantine. The positivity rates among high-risk and low-risk groups were compared. Results Out of 1414 HCWs who were assessed, 345 were categorized as high-risk exposure and were quarantined. The most common reasons for quarantine were performance of aerosol generating procedure without recommended personal protection equipment (PPE) (34%), exposure to COVID-19 positive patient without mask for more than 20 minutes at the distance less than 1 m (30%) and having food/tea together (27%). The positivity rate was 8.4% among high-risk and 1.9% among low-risk exposure group (p-value: <0.001). The positivity among low risk category was more in the second half (19/466;4.1%) as compared to first half (1/603;0.2%) of the study period. This might be due to exposure from non-hospital sources as second half coincides with first wave of the pandemic. Conclusion Not using recommended PPE and having tea/food breaks together were the most common reasons for quarantine. Key messages Strict enforcement of recommended PPE and scattered tea and food breaks can reduce high-risk exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Epidemiology is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Factors affecting decontamination of N95 masks for reuse: Feasibility & practicality of various methods.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to an enormous increase in cases worldwide in a short time. The potential shortage might call for the reuse of personal protective equipment especially N95 masks. In this review, the methods available for decontamination of N95 masks have been compared to highlight the advantages and efficacies of different methods. Studies conducted to evaluate the biocidal efficacy, effect on filtration efficacy of the decontamination method, and maintenance of structural integrity of masks, were reviewed. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) vapour were the most commonly evaluated interventions and showed good germicidal activity without significant deleterious effects on mask performance. Vapourous H2O2 was the best method as it maintained NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) recommendations of the mask on re-use and additionally, one mask could be decontaminated and reused 30 times. Ethylene oxide (EtO) preserved the maximum filtration efficacy and flow resistance. Chemical and heat-based methods had the advantages of being cost-effective and feasible but affected the structural integrity and fit of the masks. For the decontamination of N95 masks, among the heat-based methods steam was found to be the best for low middle-income countries setting. H2O2-based methods, UVGI, and EtO all exhibited both adequate biocidal efficacies and functionality (fit testing and structural integrity). Further studies on logistics, healthcare worker acceptability of reuse, and actual efficacy of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection should be carried out to validate the use of decontamination in the real-life settings.

Assessment of Potential Risk Factors for 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCov) Infection among Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital, North India.

INTRODUCTION: Health care workers (HCWs) are at the forefront to fight against COVID-19 pandemic. They are at more risk of contracting the infection. This study was planned to assess potential risk factors of 2019-novel coronavirus infection among HCWs working in a health facility and to evaluate the effectiveness of infection prevention and control measures among them. METHODS: A study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital among HCWs who were directly or indirectly involved in the management of a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19. The socio-demographic characteristics, history of exposure, IPC measures followed and clinical symptoms were compared between health care workers in COVID and non-COVID areas. RESULTS: Majority (45%) of HCWs were nurses, followed by hospital/sanitary/technical attendants (30%) and doctors (24%). Out of a total of 256 HCWs, 2% tested positive. Around 80% of HCWs had ever attended any IPC training. A statistically significant association was found between posting area of HCWs and their exposure to COVID patients (duration of exposure, PPE has worn by HCWs, direct contact of HCWs with the patient's material) and COVID positivity (P value <.001). CONCLUSION: If health care workers were trained and take adequate precautions then the risk of getting an infection is minimized.

Multidimensional dynamic healthcare personnel (HCP)-centric model from a low-income and middle-income country to support and protect COVID-19 warriors: a large prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare personnel (HCP) are at an increased risk of acquiring COVID-19 infection especially in resource-restricted healthcare settings, and return to homes unfit for self-isolation, making them apprehensive about COVID-19 duty and transmission risk to their families. We aimed at implementing a novel multidimensional HCP-centric evidence-based, dynamic policy with the objectives to reduce risk of HCP infection, ensure welfare and safety of the HCP and to improve willingness to accept and return to duty. SETTING: Our tertiary care university hospital, with 12 600 HCP, was divided into high-risk, medium-risk and low-risk zones. In the high-risk and medium-risk zones, we organised training, logistic support, postduty HCP welfare and collected feedback, and sent them home after they tested negative for COVID-19. We supervised use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and kept communication paperless. PARTICIPANTS: We recruited willing low-risk HCP, aged <50 years, with no comorbidities to work in COVID-19 zones. Social distancing, hand hygiene and universal masking were advocated in the low-risk zone. RESULTS: Between 31 March and 20 July 2020, we clinically screened 5553 outpatients, of whom 3012 (54.2%) were COVID-19 suspects managed in the medium-risk zone. Among them, 346 (11.4%) tested COVID-19 positive (57.2% male) and were managed in the high-risk zone with 19 (5.4%) deaths. One (0.08%) of the 1224 HCP in high-risk zone, 6 (0.62%) of 960 HCP in medium-risk zone and 23 (0.18%) of the 12 600 HCP in the low-risk zone tested positive at the end of shift. All the 30 COVID-19-positive HCP have since recovered. This HCP-centric policy resulted in low transmission rates (<1%), ensured satisfaction with training (92%), PPE (90.8%), medical and psychosocial support (79%) and improved acceptance of COVID-19 duty with 54.7% volunteering for re-deployment. CONCLUSION: A multidimensional HCP-centric policy was effective in ensuring safety, satisfaction and welfare of HCP in a resource-poor setting and resulted in a willing workforce to fight the pandemic.

Superspreaders: A Lurking Danger in the Community.

A "superspreader" refers to an unusually contagious organism infected with a disease. With respect to a human borne illnesses, a superspreader is someone who is more likely to infect other humans when compared to a typically infected person. The existence of human superspreaders is deeply entrenched in history; the most famous case being that of Typhoid Mary. Through contact tracing, epidemiologists have identified human superspreaders in measles, tuberculosis, rubella, monkeypox, smallpox, Ebola hemorrhagic fever, and SARS. The recent outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has shifted the focus back on the superspreaders. We herein present a case report of a COVID-19 superspreader with a hitherto unusually high number of infected contacts. The index case was a 33 year old male who resided in a low income settlement comprising of rehabilitated slum dwellers and worked as a healthcare worker (HCW) in a tertiary care hospital and had tested positive for COVID-19.On contact tracing, he had a total of 125 contacts, of which 49 COVID-19 infections had direct or indirect contact with the index case, qualifying him as a "superspreader." This propagated infection led to an outbreak in the community. Contact tracing, testing and isolation of such superspreaders from the other members of the community is essential to stop the spread of this disease and contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Demographic & clinical profile of patients with COVID-19 at a tertiary care hospital in north India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a major public health emergency affecting the healthcare services all over the world. It is essential to analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 in different parts of our country. This study highlights clinical experience in managing patients with COVID-19 at a tertiary care centre in northern India. METHODS: Clinical characteristics and outcomes of consecutive adults patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital at Chandigarh, India, from April 1 to May 25, 2020 were studied. The diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on throat and/or nasopharyngeal swabs. All patients were managed according to the institute's consensus protocol and in accordance with Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines. RESULTS: During the study period, 114 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were admitted. The history of contact with COVID-19-affected individuals was available in 75 (65.8%) patients. The median age of the patients was 33.5 yr (13-79 yr), and there were 66 (58%) males. Of the total enrolled patients, 48 (42%) were symptomatic. The common presenting complaints were fever (37, 77%), cough (26, 54%) and shortness of breath (10, 20.8%). Nineteen (17%) patients had hypoxia (SpO2<94%) at presentation and 36 (31%) had tachypnoea (RR >24). Thirty four (29.8%) patients had an accompanying comorbid illness. Age more than 60 yr and presence of diabetes and hypertension were significantly associated with severe COVID-19 disease. Admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) was needed in 18 patients (52%), with three (2.6%) patients requiring assisted ventilation. Mortality of 2.6 per cent (3 patients) was observed. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Majority of the patients with COVID-19 infection presenting to our hospital were young and asymptomatic. Fever was noted only in three-fourth of the patients and respiratory symptoms in half of them. Patients with comorbidities were more vulnerable to complications. Triaged classification of patients and protocol-based treatment resulted in good outcomes and low case fatality.

Healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries affected by COVID-19: Time to upgrade basic infection control and prevention practices.

COVID-19 as a pandemic has spanned across all continents. With the increasing numbers in cases worldwide, even the countries with the best of healthcare facilities are reeling under the burden of the disease. Therefore, in countries with limited access to resources and poor healthcare infrastructure, the low and middle-income countries (LMICs), limiting spread becomes even more challenging. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are severely hit by any outbreak and pandemics and face the lack of infrastructure and problem of overcrowding. Health facilities are compromised and almost exhausted at the time of emergency. There is disruption of normal supply chain, and consumables are not in sufficient quantity. In the current situation, rationalized use of available supplies is important. This paper presents the perspective on the basis of current literature on gaps in various infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies that are being followed currently in LMICs and suggestions for bridging these gaps.

Transforming a General Hospital to an Infectious Disease Hospital for COVID-19 Over 2 Weeks.

Pandemics like the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 can cause a significant strain on the healthcare system. Healthcare organizations must be ready with their contingency plans for managing many patients with contagious infectious disease. Ideally, every large hospital should have a facility that can function as a high-level isolation unit. An isolation unit ensures that the healthcare staff and the hospital are equipped to deal with infectious disease outbreaks. Unfortunately, such facilities do not exist in several hospitals, especially in resource-limited settings. In such a scenario, healthcare setups need to convert their existing general structure into an infectious disease facility. Herein, we describe our experience in transforming a general hospital into a functional infectious disease isolation unit.