Following the declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 30 January 2020 of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the French High Council for Public Health (Haut Conseil de la santé publique, HCSP) is issuing recommendations on laundry care, cleaning a home or the hospital room of a confirmed Covid-19 patient and protecting staff in charge of the environmental cleaning.

The HCSP has drawn on the knowledge currently available, including the risk analysis of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control(ECDC) and WHO, and has taken into account the fact that the strict hygiene measures only apply for the homes or hospital rooms of Covid-19 confirmed cases.

The HCSP reminds the importance of standard precautions (particularly hand hygiene using an alcohol-based hand rub) and, in addition, strengthened “Epidemic and Biological Risk” measures by wearing adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).

It gives clear guidance on the handling of sheets and linen of a confirmed case, cleaning of floors and surfaces with efficient products on SARS-CoV-2, protection of staff and monitoring of the people in charge of keeping linen and the environment clean.