Protect Yourselves and Others
World Health Organization Recommendations
Speech Link clinicians are required to follow the general guidance for COVID-19 prevention. In order to
protect themselves and others, our clinicians are required to follow the following recommendations, as
suggested by the World Health Organization:
- If a Speech Link clinician contracts COVID-19, they are to follow the recommendations from
Public Health Ontario regarding isolation, testing and return to work. - Our Speech Link clinicians are not to go to work if they are ill (not COVID-19).
- Our Speech Link clinicians are required to fully recover from their illness before returning to work.
- Our Speech Link clinicians are required to regularly and thoroughly clean their hands with an
alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. - Our Speech Link clinicians are required to wash their hands before and after seeing a patient.
- When working in the community, our Speech Link clinicians are to carry hand sanitizer and clean
their hands before and after seeing a patient. - Our Speech Link clinicians are required to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Our Speech Link clinicians are to make sure they, and the people around them, follow good
respiratory hygiene. This means covering their mouth and nose with their bent elbow or tissue
when they cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately and wash their hands. - When working in the community, our Speech Link clinicians are to have a dedicated paper or
plastic bag for their used tissues and wipes. Dispose the bag safely when they can. - Our Speech Link clinicians are to wear work clothes which are removed on returning home and washed.
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General Standards: Infection Prevention and Control
Speech Link clinicians are required to follow the general standards for infection prevention and control, as
outlined by CASLPO (The College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario):
All Speech Link Clinicians must recognize their role in preventing and minimizing the spread of disease in
their daily practice. This role includes the development and maintenance of infection prevention and
control programs, whether you work on your own or on inter-professional teams.
This document outlines standards and resources clinicians are expected to follow.
Standard #1: All clinicians must remain current regarding infection prevention and control measures
All intervention procedures must ensure the safety of the patient and the registrant and must adhere to
current infection prevention and control practices.
Standard #2: All clinicians must assess the risk for contamination and transmission of infectious agents for
specific patients within specific environments.
All clinicians must consider the following within their practice setting:
- The type of treatment planned for the patient
- The patient’s overall health condition
- The location of the patient
- The health and immunization status of people in the practice environment. This includes other
patients, practitioners, and staff.
All clinicians must also consider the external/community environment:
- The time of year (For example, winter months will likely have an increase in colds and the flu.)
- Outbreaks of infectious diseases in the community
- Information released by public health officials
Standard #3: All clinicians must use current prevention and control measures when providing services to
patients.
Standard or routine precautions are always to be applied to all patients, regardless of diagnosis or infectious
status. These include:
1. Hand hygiene
2. Risk Assessment
3. Risk reduction (including hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette)
4. Environmental cleaning
5. Equipment cleaning and disinfection
6. Laundry and waste management
7. Sharps injury prevention and post exposure management
8. Education of staff and patients, such as when to stay home, immunization, etc.