UAB continues to consult public health and infectious diseases experts to assess the pandemic and make data-driven decisions to safely pursue our vital mission.
Participant Flow
- Participants will be asked to attend appointments individually. Walk-up visits will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis, allowing staff to maintain appropriate distancing between themselves and between participants.
- Participants will work with navigators outside of the MCRU to complete enrollment and retention activities. Staff will monitor participant movements through the unit and ensure that participants are contained within the clinic rooms or bathroom when they are inside the unit. Participants will be required to wear a mask at all times during their visit, and hand hygiene will be encouraged throughout the visit.
- Staff will monitor participant movements through the unit to ensure distancing between participants. Participants will remain in their clinic rooms for the entirety of their time inside the unit, with the exception of their use of the restroom.
- Participants will not be allowed on the MCRU unless they are accompanied by a staff member, and staff will manage flow of participants to maintain distancing within the unit.
Safety Measures:
- Hospital-grade masks, disposable gloves, disinfectant wipes, tissues, and hand sanitizer will be provided for all staff during work hours. Staff will be trained on how to properly wear a mask. Staff will be responsible for ensuring that their mask is clean. UAB has centralized all ordering of PPE.
- Disinfectant spray will be used on high touch areas within the unit restroom in between participant and staff uses. Clinic surfaces will be disinfected after each participant. iPads will be disinfected between each participant and at the beginning and end of each day.
- The entry door (passenger side) will remain open whenever the site is open to participants. Additionally, windows along the side of the unit can be opened to increase ventilation. Air conditioning will be on and moving air through the unit.
- All clinical staff members must complete University Health Check for symptoms daily in order to continue working on campus. If symptomatic, staff may not return to campus until quarantine period expires and they are approved to return to work (managed by UAB Employee Health).
COVID-19 Tracking and Exposure
- The AOUSN Pilot Program Director will monitor county and state COVID rates using the Alabama Department of Public Health dashboards and globalepidemics.org on a weekly basis. The MCRU will not travel to counties in the red zone.
- If a county approaches or goes into the red zone, UAB leadership will meet to make plans to adjust the MCRU’s travel schedule as needed. We will also discuss this with our NIH Program Officer.
- If a decision is made to deactivate the MCRU, all staff will be notified by phone or during the daily 9:00 am meeting. Participants will be rescheduled by phone, and if unable to reach them, we will mail a letter as soon as possible.
- If anyone was exposed to an individual who notifies us or if a staff member tests positive for COVID-19, our team will contact individuals that interacted with them to let them know of their exposure. If a UAB staff member contracts COVID-19, it will be reported to UAB Employee Health and the staff member will follow their instructions on quarantining and return to work authorization.