COVID-19 Client Triage Tool

Community Development

COVID-19 Client Triage Tool

COVID-19 Client Triage Tool

The Fulton Continuum of Care (CoC) developed a triage-screening tool to assist CoC shelters and housing programs to modify shelter management strategies in light of the emerging COVID-19 concerns. The triage-screening tool focuses on reorganizing the intake workflow to effectively identify symptomatic and asymptomatic people entering congregate sites. Fulton County Public Health has advised congregate programs to practice social distancing to the maximum extent possible for people who exhibit symptoms. 

Based on additional criteria related to existing health vulnerabilities, Fulton homeless programs may call the local public hospital, explain the indications for further assessment and arrange transport for testing. The questions on the triage-screening tool are self-reported answers except for the question regarding whether a person has a fever. If the temperature is 100.4 or above, the person does have a fever and ‘YES’ should be marked on the screening tool. Shelters/Transitional Housing programs were recommended to have infrared thermometers and N-95 surgical masks on hand. Infrared thermometers allow staff to check temperatures without person-to-person contact. 

Adapting and implementing this tool requires CoC leadership and local public health authorities to fully understand the resources required to allow programs to separate symptomatic and asymptomatic households. From initial design to implementation procedure, messaging to clients, and the community – each element should be carefully documented to minimize anxiety and confusion at each step.

Different approaches to social isolation such as reorganizing an existing shelter floor plan, utilizing separate quarantine facilities, and/or accessing individual motel rooms should be examined. CoCs should consider resource constraints in their communities and adopt strategies that meet local needs and are clearly supported by local public health leaders. 

Click here to download the COVID-19 Residential Program Client Triage Screening Tool