[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Medical–surgical nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/med-surg/) › Inpatients with influenza or COVID-19: isolation, oxygen, cohorting and vaccination

# Inpatients with influenza or COVID-19: isolation, oxygen, cohorting and vaccination

- Safe practice

The nurse isolates patients with flu or COVID-19, wears the right protection, watches their breathing and promotes vaccination for patients and staff.

Updated Nov 13, 2026

## Key points

- Influenza: droplet precautions for 7 days after onset or until 24 hours after fever and respiratory symptoms resolve, whichever is longer.
- COVID-19: follow the institution's current precautions; national and international recommendations change over time.
- Aerosol-generating procedures: only if necessary, essential staff only, fit-tested N95 respirator, gown, gloves and eye protection, isolation room if feasible.
- Symptomatic patients wear a facemask in waiting areas and during transport.
- Yearly influenza vaccination is the most important prevention measure, including for health workers.
- Colombia 2026: influenza vaccine free for priority groups such as adults 60 and over, pregnant women from week 14, young children, chronic illness and health workers.

## What it is

Influenza and COVID-19 spread easily, through respiratory droplets and contaminated hands, and both can turn severe in older people, pregnant women, young children and people with chronic disease or weak immunity. On the ward the nurse places the patient in a single room when possible, or in a cohort agreed with infection control, applies the transmission-based precautions of the institution, gives a facemask to symptomatic patients, protects staff during aerosol-generating procedures, monitors breathing and oxygen, and limits visits and transport. Influenza vaccination every year is the most important prevention measure, for patients and for health workers; in Colombia it is free for the priority groups.

## What it requires

- Single room when possible; cohorting only with the infection-control team's advice.
- Transmission-based precautions and personal protective equipment per the institution's protocol.
- Respiratory hygiene supplies: masks, tissues, hand hygiene products.
- Respiratory monitoring with SpO2 and an early-warning score.
- Vaccination status of the patient and of the staff.

## Components

- Early identification and masking of symptomatic patients.
- Placement: single room or cohort.
- Precautions and protective equipment, with extra protection for aerosol-generating procedures.
- Clinical monitoring and oxygen to target.
- Prevention: vaccination, hand hygiene and visitor guidance.

## How it is applied (and why)

- Give a facemask to any patient with respiratory symptoms and seat them apart: early source control limits spread.
- Place the patient in a single room when possible; if not, ask infection control about cohorting: grouping by the same infection protects others.
- Put on the protective equipment the protocol requires before entry and remove it with hand hygiene on exit (see donning and doffing).
- Monitor rate, effort, SpO2 and mental state and give oxygen to the prescribed target: this detects and treats low oxygen early.
- Plan aerosol-generating procedures with the team: only if necessary, essential staff, respirator and eye protection.
- Limit transport; if it is needed, mask the patient and tell the receiving area before the transfer.
- Explain the precautions to visitors, limit visits and teach hand hygiene: video calls are an alternative.
- Check vaccination status and offer or refer for influenza and other recommended vaccines before discharge.
- Tell the next care setting the diagnosis and the precautions in use: discharge does not wait for the end of shedding.

## In nursing practice

- Higher risk of severe disease: older adults, pregnant women, children under 5, chronic illness and weakened immunity.
- People at high risk or with severe symptoms benefit from antiviral treatment as early as possible, as prescribed.
- Precautions may be extended for severely immunocompromised patients, by clinical judgement.
- Health workers with respiratory symptoms follow the institution's rules for staff before working.

## Common mistakes

- Wearing the same mask or gown from one patient's room to another.
- Performing an aerosol-generating procedure with a surgical mask only.
- Ending influenza precautions on day 7 while the patient still has fever.
- Missing the chance to vaccinate the patient before discharge.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## How long are droplet precautions kept for a hospitalised patient with influenza?

For 7 days after the illness began or until 24 hours after fever and respiratory symptoms resolve, whichever is longer.

## What protection does staff need during an aerosol-generating procedure in a patient with influenza?

Gloves, gown, eye protection and a fit-tested N95 or equivalent respirator, with only essential staff and an isolation room if feasible.

## What is cohorting?

Placing patients infected with the same agent together in one room or area when single rooms are not available, with infection-control advice.

## Which is the most important measure to prevent influenza?

Yearly vaccination, for patients in risk groups and for health workers.

[Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/inpatients-with-influenza-or-covid-19-isolation-oxygen-cohorting-and-vaccination/)

## Connections

## Related 4

- [Transmission-based precautions: contact, droplet and airborne](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/transmission-based-precautions-contact-droplet-and-airborne/)
- [Putting on and taking off personal protective equipment](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/putting-on-and-taking-off-personal-protective-equipment/)
- [Oxygen therapy: devices, flows and safety](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/oxygen-therapy-devices-flows-and-safety/)
- [Pulse oximetry at the bedside: placement and pitfalls](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/pulse-oximetry-at-the-bedside-placement-and-pitfalls/)

## Related conditions 2

- [Influenza (flu)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/influenza/)
- [COVID-19](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/covid-19/)

[← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/)

Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order.

Sources: [Infection prevention and control strategies for seasonal influenza in healthcare settings](https://www.cdc.gov/flu/hcp/infection-control/healthcare-settings.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2026); [Influenza (seasonal), fact sheet](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/influenza-(seasonal)) (World Health Organization (WHO), 2025); [Infection prevention and control in the context of COVID-19: a guideline, 21 December 2023](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-IPC-guideline-2023.4) (World Health Organization (WHO), 2023); [MinSalud amplía esquema de vacunación contra la influenza (boletín 055 de 2026)](https://www.minsalud.gov.co/Comunicaciones/noticias/2026/Paginas/se-amplia-esquema-de-vacunacion-contra-influenza-a-menores.aspx) (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social de Colombia, 2026).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/inpatients-with-influenza-or-covid-19-isolation-oxygen-cohorting-and-vaccination/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/inpatients-with-influenza-or-covid-19-isolation-oxygen-cohorting-and-vaccination/