Introduction — This topic includes links to society and government-sponsored guidelines from selected countries and regions around the world. We will update these links periodically; newer versions of some guidelines may be available on each society's website. Some societies may require users to log in to access their guidelines.
The recommendations in the following guidelines may vary from those that appear in UpToDate topic reviews. Readers who are looking for UpToDate topic reviews should use the UpToDate search box to find the relevant content.
Links to related COVID-19 guidelines are provided separately, including information on infection control in long-term care facilities, prevention of infection in the community, and management of health care workers, as well as infection control considerations for select specialties. (See "Society guideline links: COVID-19 – Index of guideline topics".)
International
●WHO: Cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces in the context of COVID-19 (2020)
●WHO: Criteria for releasing COVID-19 patients from isolation – Scientific brief (2020)
●WHO: Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – Interim guidance (2020)
●WHO: Mask use in the context of COVID-19 – Interim guidance (2020)
Canada
●PHAC: Infection prevention and control for COVID-19 – Interim guidance for acute healthcare settings (2021)
●PHAC: Infection prevention and control for COVID-19 – Interim guidance for home care settings (2021)
●Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network (PHLN): Best practices for COVID-19 (2020)
United States
●American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): COVID-19 interim guidance on face masks (2022)
●Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA): Guidelines on infection prevention in patients with suspected or known COVID-19 (2020, updated 2021)
●CDC: Optimizing personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies (2020)
Europe
●ECDC: Guidance on ending the isolation period for people with COVID-19 (2022)
●ECDC: Infection prevention and control and preparedness for COVID-19 in healthcare settings (2021)
United Kingdom
●NHS England: Guidance on COVID-19 – Infection prevention and control (IPC) (2020, updated 2022)
●PHE: COVID-19 – Guidance for stepdown of infection control precautions and discharging patients to home settings (2020, updated 2022)
●PHE: Guidance on COVID-19 – Management of staff and exposed patients and residents in health and social care settings (2020, updated 2022)
●NHS England: Guidance on supply and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies (2020, updated 2021)
●PHE: Guidance for care of the deceased with suspected or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) (2021)
●PHE: Guidance on COVID-19 – Personal protective equipment use for aerosol generating procedures (2020)
●PHE: Guidance on COVID-19 – Personal protective equipment use for non-aerosol generating procedures (2020)
India
●MHFW: Guidance document on appropriate management of suspect/confirmed cases of COVID-19 (2020)
●MHFW: Guidelines for quarantine facilities COVID-19 (2020)
Australia–New Zealand
●New South Wales (NSW) Health: Control guideline for public health units (2022)
●Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS): COVID-19 guidelines (2021)
●Infection Control Expert Group (ICEG): Guidelines on cleaning and disinfection of protective eyewear in health and residential care facilities (2020, updated 2021)
●NSW Health: Personal protective equipment (PPE) (2021)
Japan
●[In Japanese] Japan Pediatric Society (JPS): Guidelines on the idea of wearing a mask for infants (2020, updated 2021)
●[In Japanese] National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID): Infection control for new coronavirus infections (2020, updated 2021)
●[In Japanese] NIID: Checklist for outbreaks of new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in medical facilities (2020)
●[In Japanese] NIID: Discharge criteria for new coronavirus infection (2020)
Resources for patients — The following links provide resources about COVID-19 for non-clinicians. These resources come from select society and government-sponsored guidelines from several countries and regions around the world.
●[International] WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – How is it transmitted?
●[Canada] Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – Prevention and risks
●[United States] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Prevent getting sick
●[United Kingdom] National Health Service (NHS): Self-isolation and treating symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19)
●[Australia–New Zealand] Australian Government Department of Health (DOH): Protect yourself and others from COVID-19
●[Australia–New Zealand] New South Wales Department of Health (NSW Health): Self-isolation rules for cases and people exposed to COVID-19
UpToDate also offers "The Basics" patient education pieces, which are written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate. These are written in plain language, at the 5th to 6th grade reading level, and answer the main questions a person is likely to have. (See "Patient education: COVID-19 overview (The Basics)" and "Patient education: COVID-19 and children (The Basics)" and "Patient education: COVID-19 and pregnancy (The Basics)" and "Patient education: COVID-19 vaccines (The Basics)".)