The usual psychiatric ward is densely staffed and lacks sufficient space for activities and ventilation, which is conducive to the transmission of the novel coronavirus. Once exogenous infection occurs, transmission can be rapid and extremely hard to control. Therefore, the complete isolation of mental health centers has been recommended during the NCP epidemic. Specific measures to be considered are as follows:Fourteen days under observation in hospital is the key to reducing hospital infection;
A pre-admission observation ward needs to be arranged immediately;
A detailed understanding of the patient’s recent travel history in Hubei province, as well as the close contact history with suspected or confirmed patients;
Based on the risk level of a latent infectious patient, the physician should make a firm decision on whether the patient should be transferred to the designated hospital for treatment set by the local government;
Medical, nursing, logistics support, and canteen staff should limit their approaches to the hospital and have their temperature taken before entering and leaving the ward;
Temporarily prohibit on-site visits, and replace them with video chat. In principle, only food and clothing from government-approved institutions are acceptable;
More psychological services should be provided by community workers and family doctors to help the hospital to communicate about the restriction of visitors, so as to obtain consent on the necessity of these temporary arrangements;
Ensure that family members know that the patients receive sufficient daily necessities from the hospital, so as to eliminate the worries and doubts of family members;
The skills of medical staff in the psychiatric specialty needs to be improved in identifying and treating physical diseases.