Respiratory Illness Clinical Guidance for Health Care Providers | Vermont Department of Health

Respiratory Illness Clinical Guidance for Health Care Providers | Vermont Department of Health
Skip to main content
MENU
x
CLOSE
Translations for you
Respiratory Illness Clinical Guidance for Health Care Providers
Respiratory Illnesses
Flu, COVID & RSV Vaccines
Preventing Respiratory Illnesses
What to do if you're sick
Respiratory Illness Activity in Vermont
Respiratory Illness Clinical Guidance for Health Care Providers
Outbreak Information for Schools and Group Living Settings
Respiratory Illness Communications Materials
This page provides guidance for health care professionals on
flu
and
COVID-19
testing, treatment, and reporting requirements.
For infection prevention and control, visit our
Outbreak Information
page.
For vaccine information for health care providers, visit our
Vaccine Information for Providers
page.
For patient-facing information, visit our
Respiratory Illnesses
page.
Flu Guidance
Testing
The Vermont Department of Health Laboratory performs RT-PCR flu testing for public health surveillance to monitor
flu activity
.
Testing to confirm flu and determine type is performed weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Testing is free for providers participating in the sentinel surveillance program. Read more about the
benefits of being a sentinel flu provider
. To join the sentinel provider program, email
[email protected]
.
Testing is conducted for reported institutional outbreaks.
More information on the use of rapid flu diagnostic tests (CDC)
Antiviral Medications: Treatment and Prophylaxis
Please refer to CDC's guidance on flu antiviral medications
Reporting
Reportable by labs:
Positive influenza PCR
Reportable by medical providers, hospitals, and school health officials
:
Institutional
outbreaks
Pediatric influenza-related deaths
Suspected cases of influenza due to a novel strain of influenza A
How to report
COVID-19 Guidance
If You Suspect Your Patient Has COVID-19
Give the patient a surgical mask
Notify facility infection control personnel
Use standard precautions, contact precautions, airborne precautions and use eye protection when entering the room
Evaluate the patient in a private room with the door closed, ideally in an airborne infection isolation room
Treatment
Clinicians should consider COVID-19 treatment in non-hospitalized patients who meet ALL of the following criteria:
Test positive for SARS-CoV-2 (with PCR or antigen test, including at-home tests).
Have symptoms consistent with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. People with mild COVID-19 experience symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough or headache, that do not affect the lungs and breathing. People with moderate illness have symptoms that affect the lungs like shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
Are within the medication-specific treatment window.
Have one or more
risk factors for severe COVID-19 (CDC)
.
Age remains the strongest risk factor for severe COVID-19. Therefore, we recommend considering treatment for all patients age 50 and older.
Reporting
Report COVID-19 situations and outbreaks in your facility using the
Outbreak Report Form
.
You may also call the Infectious Disease Epidemiology team at 802-863-7240 (option 2) or email
[email protected]
(monitored during business hours).
Important Links
Guidance for Management of Healthcare Personnel with Viral Respiratory Illness
Communication Resources
Get Materials
Find patient fact sheets, toolkits, posters and more to prepare and protect your community during respiratory virus season. Translated material available.
Get Materials
Last Updated:
October 2, 2025