CDP implements HID course updates

FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) recently updated its Barrier Precautions and Controls for Highly Infectious Disease (HID) Course.

Changes to the course incorporate lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the disinfection and preservation of personal protective equipment, the need for an Airborne Infection Isolation Room, and how to accommodate those in need of in-patient care when there are more patients than available isolation rooms.

In a post-course survey, one student said of the updated curriculum, “I now have a better mindset toward barrier precautions, safety and infection prevention, not just for type A pathogens, but for the pathogens I encounter day-to-day.”

HID is a four-day resident course designed to teach healthcare responders how to safely triage, transport and treat individuals with highly infectious diseases. It includes both classroom work and extensive practical training in an isolation ward.

For additional information about the course, visit https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-321.