DoNoHarm BC, Protect Our Province BC and the Canadian Covid Society warn of infection risks in healthcare
December 10, 2024 (British Columbia, Canada) – Advocacy groups in BC are calling on policy-makers to immediately reinstate healthcare mask requirements. The call comes as BC faces severe risks from COVID-19, a rise in “walking pneumonia,” local measles warnings, and Canada’s first human case of H5N1 avian influenza – which health officials warn could potentially turn into another pandemic.
Since BC dropped healthcare mask requirements in April 2024, the province has already endured multiple outbreaks in medical settings, and British Columbians have sent over 33,000 letters calling for masks to be restored. The recent case of avian influenza exposed over 30 healthcare workers, flagging the need for broader use of N95s[1], as the only masks rated to protect against airborne illnesses. Experts warn that a refusal to use available layers of protection puts our most vulnerable at unnecessary risk.
“Healthcare settings are full of the most vulnerable people: from newborns, to cancer patients, to elders, to people recovering from surgery,” said Dr. Karina Zeidler, a family physician and co-founder of Protect Our Province BC. “There’s no acceptable level of avoidable healthcare infections. Masks are an effective and cost-effective measure that protect patients, family members and workers, and we should be using them consistently, not waiting until things get out of control.”
For some patients, the absence of mask requirements makes accessing safe care impossible. “Without N95 masks in healthcare, I’ve had to indefinitely postpone specialized care at BC Women’s Hospital,” said Hannah Wilson, a social services worker and organizer with DoNoHarm BC. “I’m chronically ill and immunocompromised due to a past viral infection – yet when I made a disability accommodations request for care staff to wear N95s, they refused because it wasn’t currently required. Instead, they told me I could either “go elsewhere”, or stand waiting outside the hospital: something I can’t even do because of my disability.”
Advocates point out that other healthcare networks have already restored mask requirements, such as those in southwestern Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador. BC’s Human Rights Commissioner has also been highly critical of the decision to remove mask protections, stating it “does not uphold a human rights centred approach to public health.”
Those who want to ensure safer medical settings, including hospitals and long-term care, can join DoNoHarm BC’s letter campaign and take further action at DoNoHarmBC.ca.
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DoNoHarm BC is a non-partisan action group based in British Columbia, Canada. Their mission is to demand evidence-based safety measures in high-risk settings; to advocate for effective and equitable public health policies; and to help lead grassroots collective action promoting safety, equity, accessibility, and resilience in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. DoNoHarmBC.ca
Protect Our Province BC is a grassroots group of physicians, nurses, health scientists, health policy specialists and community advocates.They work together to help people in BC stay safe by sharing accurate information about the COVID-19 pandemic in BC, and advocating for science-based policies. ProtectBC.ca
The Canadian Covid Society is a national organization whose mission is to inform the public about the health consequences of Covid infections, to advocate for science-based measures to reduce the transmission of the virus, and to empower and support people with Long Covid. CovidSociety.ca
Media inquiries and interview requests: DoNoHarmBC@gmail.com
Photos and fact sheets available at bit.ly/Dec2024_press_package