On June 20, the Canadian Standards Association, also known as the CSA Group, released a new draft version of CSA standard Z94.4, which was open to…
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Tag: nosocomial infections
Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia
BC patients, health advocates slam removal of healthcare mask protections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DoNoHarm BC, Protect Our Province BC and the Canadian Covid Society warn the province’s decision endangers patients, healthcare workers, and the healthcare system
March 31, 2025 (British Columbia) – BC patients and health advocates are speaking out against the provincial government’s decision to drop healthcare mask requirements, at a time when there are multiple illness outbreaks in medical settings. Public health groups DoNoHarm BC, Protect Our Province BC, and the Canadian Covid Society warn that the move endangers vulnerable patients and frontline workers, while harming the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of BC’s healthcare system.
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Masks should be mandatory in healthcare
As of April 8, 2024, masks are “no longer required in healthcare settings” in BC. This decision comes after data showing decreased COVID-19 levels in the province. However, COVID-19 hasn’t suddenly become less dangerous, nor has it disappeared. Data surrounding masks suggests the decision is questionable, if not dangerous. Healthcare settings have always been environments with increased pathogenic risk, which is why masks are so important.
Medical masks have been a thing long before COVID-19. Countries in Asia have worn masks for a variety of reasons “since at least the 1950s.” With the propagation of the SARS outbreak back in 2002, masks as a layer of protection have become a staple in many societies. Throughout the ongoing pandemic, and previous ones, they’ve been proven to be an efficient form of protection and prevention of airborne diseases. A wealth of studies have demonstrated masking’s effectiveness for both the wearer and those around them. One study showed masks were effective in “reducing symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections.” N95s are especially effective, with efficacy rates 48% higher than cloth masks.
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BC health advocates demand return of mandatory masks in healthcare
In response to April’s removal of mandatory mask mandates in healthcare settings, BC’s health advocacy group DoNoHarm BC, joined by Protect Our Province BC and Masks4EastVan, are leading a campaign to urge the provincial government to reinstate these protections. The groups say that BC health authorities have ignored warnings about ongoing COVID-19 risks and other respiratory threats like measles and tuberculosis.
The decision to remove mask mandates in healthcare settings was announced by the Ministry of Health, “the peak of the respiratory illness season has passed.” Though COVID-19 levels typically lessen in the spring, COVID-19 has not been established as a seasonal illness.
The Peak reached out to Dr. Karina Zeidler who organizes with DoNoHarm BC and is the co-founder of Protect Our Province BC for more information. Zeidler referenced a research article from BC Medical Journal which noted that “for some of these most vulnerable patients, the air in the hospital can be deadlier than the diagnosis that brought them in.” This is due to hospital acquired infections, which can then lead to COVID-19 deaths.
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Topic: take actionView all posts for the topic: take action
Ontario: Consultation on infection prevention and control (IPAC)
📣 The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has initiated a consultation on infection prevention and control (IPAC). Do you want healthcare workers to wear N95 respirators? Would it be safer with HEPA filters in healthcare settings? Let them know!
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COVID outbreak declared on fifth floor of Nanaimo hospital
An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared on the fifth floor of Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
As of Thursday, a total of 10 hospital-acquired cases had been attributed to the outbreak. All patients are experiencing mild illness, an Island Health official said.
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Researchers estimate 1% or 2% of hospital patients in England caught COVID after admission
During the country’s second COVID wave, 95,000 to 167,000 hospital patients in England were infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the hospital, partly due to a lack of single rooms, suggests a study published yesterday in Nature.
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Dr. Lyne Filiatrault discusses masks in healthcare
On September 27, BC provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and health minister, Adrian Dix, announced mandatory masking would be re-established in healthcare environments as COVID-19 cases are rising at a rapid rate. Starting October 3, masks became mandatory once again in healthcare settings.
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Covid deaths are on the rise again, so what happens? Mask-wearing in hospitals is scrapped
For some people, going to hospital may now be more dangerous than staying at home untreated. Many clinically vulnerable people fear, sometimes with good reason, that a visit to hospital or the doctors’ surgery could be the end of them.
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Mask mandates are returning to some hospitals. Should they be there to stay?
Some doctors are calling for more preventative measures to protect vulnerable patients in medical settings.
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COVID-19 outbreak declared at Victoria hospital
Health authorities have declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Victoria General Hospital after 11 patients were found to have contracted the illness on an acute-care ward.
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Data on COVID-19 scarce as long-term care homes deal with outbreaks
The province’s online portal on COVID-19 hasn’t been updated since July 24.
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Mandatory masking coming back to Kingston’s hospitals
Mandatory masking is returning to Kingston’s hospitals.
Citing “rising COVID-19 prevalence” in the region, Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) announced the immediate return to masking in a media release shared Thursday.
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Some hospitals are bringing back masking – and the general public should consider it this fall too, experts say
As sniffling season falls upon us amid an uptick in COVID-19 cases across the country, should we be bringing masking back in health-care settings and reaching for them more often in our daily lives?
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Mandatory masking rules reinstated at hospitals in Kingston, Ont.
Patients, staff and visitors must now wear a mask in all public facing areas of Kingston General Hospital and Hotel Dieu Hospital in Kingston, Ont.
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New masking rules for health-care settings in B.C. coming into force Oct. 3, officials confirm
B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix have announced that mandatory masking is returning to the province’s health-care facilities next week as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise.
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‘Continuous’ masking returning to B.C. hospitals, clinics, care homes
Some health-care workers in British Columbia have started receiving notification that they will once again be expected to wear masks in medical settings, but the language is ambiguous about what exactly will be required and for whom.
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