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Abbreviations Addressing COVID-19 Explained

see: UIHC Otolaryngology COVID19 Resource LinksN95 Respirators (HEPA or High-Efficiency-Particulate-Air Filter Respirators) as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Please utilize the table below to supplement the information provided on COVID-19-related protocols: UIHC Otolaryngology COVID Resource Links

Terminology and Abbreviations  
Aerosols or droplet nuclei

Small respiratory droplets

['large' > 5 - 10 µm vs 'small' < 5-10 µm]

updated interpretation see ref (Bourouiba 2020)  

AGP Aerosol-Generating Procedure*
ACE2 Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2
AIIR Airborne Infection Isolation Room (formerly known as negative pressure isolation room)
APF Assigned Protection Factor**
APR Air-Purifying Respirator (particulate respirators, gas masks)

ARD

ARDS

Acute Respiratory Disease

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

ASR Air-Supplying Respirator
CAPR Controlled Air Purifying Respirator
COVID-19 Corona Virus Disease 2019 caused by SARS-CoV-2
ECMO Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
EHFRs Elastomeric Half-Facepiece Respirators
FFR Filtering Facepiece Respirator (includes N95 masks)
HCP Health Care Personnel***
HEPA High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter Respirators*
MERS-CoV Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (emerged in 2012)
NIOSH

 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

a federal agency designed to prevent worker illness

PAPR Powered Air Purifying Respirator
PPE Personal Protective Equipment
SARS-CoV-2

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2

        previously provisionally named

2019 novel coronavirus or  2019-nCoV (Lai, Shih 2020)

 it is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus          belonging to the genus Betacoronavirus (ß-coronavirus)

SARS-CoV Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (emerged in 2002)
WHO World Health Organization

 

 

 

 

 

*CDC specifies AGPs, "aerosol-generating procedures," as procedures likely to induce coughing (e.g., sputum induction, open suctioning of airways) and provides specific recommendations - see N95 Respirators (HEPA or High-Efficiency-Particulate-Air Filter Respirators) as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

 

**APF - established by OSHA; refers to factor by which mask reduces aerosol concentration. E.g., N95 masks have APF of 10, meaning there are 1/10th the number of particles inside the mask than outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***CDC definition of HCP, "health care personnel" - all persons in healthcare setting with potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials including body substances; contaminated medical supplies, devices, and equipment; contaminated environmental surfaces; or contaminated air.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

 

Bourouiba L. Turbulent Gas Clouds and Respiratory Pathogen Emissions: Potential Implications for Reducing Transmission of COVID-19. JAMA. Published online March 26, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4756 (accessed 4-04-2020)

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:  Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed  Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Healthcare Settings https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/infection-control/control-recommendations.html (accessed 3-22-2020)

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Respirator Trusted-Source Information https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/respsource.html (accessed 3-23-2020)

Guo YR, Cao QD, Hong ZS, Tan YY, Chen SD, Jin HJ, Tan KS, Wang DY, Yan Y.The origin, transmission and clinical therapies on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak - an update on the status. Mil Med Res. 2020 Mar 13;7(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s40779-020-00240-0.

Holshue ML, DeBolt C, Lindquist S, Lofy KH, Wiesman J, Bruce H, Spitters C, Ericson K, Wilkerson S, Tural A, Diaz G, Cohn A, Fox L, Patel A, Gerber SI, Kim L, Tong S, Lu X, Lindstrom S, Pallansch MA, Weldon WC, Biggs HM, Uyeki TM, Pillai SK; Washington State 2019-nCoV Case Investigation Team. First Case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2020 Mar 5;382(10):929-936. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2001191. Epub 2020 Jan 31.

Lai CC, Shih TP, Ko WC, Tang HJ, Hsueh PR.Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): The epidemic and the challenges.Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2020 Mar;55(3):105924. doi: 0.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.105924. Epub 2020 Feb 17.

Lai CC, Liu YH, Wang CY, Wang YH, Hsueh SC, Yen MY, Ko WC, Hsueh PR. Asymptomatic carrier state, acute respiratory disease, and pneumonia due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): Facts and myths. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2020 Mar 4. pii: S1684-1182(20)30040-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2020.02.012. [Epub ahead of print]

Ong SWX, Tan YK, Chia PY, et al. Air, Surface Environmental, and Personal Protective Equipment Contamination by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) From a Symptomatic Patient. JAMA. Published online March 04, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.3227