(Updated 5/6/2020 at 4:30 p.m.)
COVID-19 has been added to the Class A Diseases in the State of Louisiana, which means that physicians have a mandatory reporting obligation to the State Office of Public Health (OPH) of both confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, also referred to as a case involving a Person Under Investigation, or PUI. There are no exceptions to this rule, and the consent of the patient to release of this information to OPH is not required. HIPAA laws recognize the importance of this type of reporting and created an exception to the confidentiality of reports required by law to satisfy public health reporting.
Louisiana Office of Public Health Infectious Disease Epidemiology Hotline: 800.256.2748
LDH Guidance for Reporting COVID-19, including PUI Criteria
Information on Disclosure of PHI to Public Health Authorities
Louisiana Update on COVID-19 Testing as of May 3, 2020
Louisiana Update on COVID-19 Testing as of April 14, 2020 See above link for update.
Related article: Report COVID-19 to the Louisiana OPH: COVID-19 Added to Class A Reportable Diseases List
