COVID-19 and psychiatry : urgent opening of a cohort ward at Geneva's psychiatric hospital Covid-19 et psychiatrie : ouverture en urgence dune unite de cohortage a la Clinique psychiatrique de Geneve

ABSTRACT

Due to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, a reorganization of the health care sector was needed. Many questions arose concerning the specificity of psychiatric care in this unprecedented situation. In Geneva, Switzerland, the department of psychiatry decided to open a new ward for its infected patients. Beyond the challenge of setting it up quickly, we faced the challenges of taking care of a heterogeneous group of patients and of incorporating protection measures we were not accustomed to, which add a significant amount of time to the daily care of patients. The staff recruitment on a voluntary basis, close supervision, availability of the personal protective material as well as support from the infection prevention and control unit have enabled proper functioning of the ward. Devant la vitesse de propagation de la pandemie due au nouveau coronavirus, une reorganisation des systemes de sante a ete necessaire. De nombreuses questions se sont posees quant a la specificite de la psychiatrie dans cette situation exceptionnelle. A Geneve, le departement de psychiatrie a pris la decision douvrir une nouvelle unite de cohortage pour ses patients contamines. Outre le defi du delai court pour la mettre en place, nous avons ete confrontes a celui de prendre en charge une patientele heterogene et de devoir appliquer des mesures de protections avec lesquelles nous etions peu familiers, chronophages. Le recrutement de lequipe sur une base volontaire, un encadrement tres present, la disponibilite du materiel de protection et le soutien du service prevention et controle de linfection ont permis un bon fonctionnement de lunite.