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Tag: universal masking

Study: Infection-control measures stemmed COVID spread in hospitals from 2020 to 2022Lieutenant (junior grade) Kayla Marthy, from Long Island, New York (left), and Lieutenant (junior grade) Brianna Garcia, from St. Petersburg, Florida, treat a patient in the intensive care unit aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), on April 13, 2020. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan M. Breeden.
Topic: N95 respiratorsView all posts for the topic: N95 respirators

Study: Infection-control measures stemmed COVID spread in hospitals from 2020 to 2022

Published January 17, 2024

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CIDRAP
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By Mary Van Beusekom

Implementation of ventilation standards of at least five clean-air changes per hour, COVID-19 testing, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and universal wearing of respirators prevented most SARS-CoV-2 transmissions in a California healthcare system from 2020 to 2022, suggests a study published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

For the study, University of California (UC) researchers used electronic health records and movement data of patients and staff to conduct viral genomic and social network analyses to estimate COVID-19 spread in the UC–San Diego Health system. The team analyzed 12,933 viral genomes from 35,666 infected patients and healthcare workers (HCWs) (out of 1,303,622 tests [2.7%]) from November 2020 to January 2022.

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Topic: the pandemic is not overView all posts for the topic: the pandemic is not over

COVID Isn’t Going Anywhere. Masking Up Could Save My Life.

Published January 17, 2024

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Published by: Teen Vogue
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By Alice Wong

The answers lie in poop. Based on the latest national sample of wastewater taken on January 13, 2024, the concentration of the SARS-Cov-2 virus is 1,132 copies/mL of sewage, an alarming increase compared to 280 copies/mL six months ago. This is one sign that cases of COVID infections have been rising, resulting in more hospitalizations, deaths, and people developing long COVID.

Like millions of other high-risk people who are service workers, older, chronically ill, disabled, or immunocompromised, I have done everything I can to remain as safe as possible. Due to neuromuscular disability and respiratory failure, my chances of surviving an infection are slim to none. With the latest JN.1 variant likely even more contagious – or better practiced at evading immune system defenses – than previous ones, I wonder if this is the surge when I will become infected, which is terrifying.

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Topic: European UnionView all posts for the topic: European Union

Spain considers nationwide hospital mask rule, as flu, COVID hit Europe

Published January 8, 2024

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Reuters
Published on:

Spain’s government proposed a nationwide mandate for people to wear masks in hospitals and health clinics on Monday, and Italy said respiratory illness infection rates had hit a record, as flu and COVID spread across Europe.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recommended that people on the continent stay home if they feel sick, and consider wearing masks in crowds or healthcare settings, with flu spreading as it typically does this time of year but hitting some countries harder than others.

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Topic: New YorkView all posts for the topic: New York

New York City public hospitals bring back mask mandates in certain areas

Published January 3, 2024

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Published by: ABC News
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By Mary Kekatos

Indoor mask requirements have been reinstated at all New York City public hospitals amid a rise in respiratory viruses including COVID-19 and flu.

The mandate extends to the 11 hospitals, 30 health centers and five long-term care facilities run by NYC Health + Hospitals.

The city’s health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, said Wednesday masks will only be required in areas where patients are being treated, according to local ABC News affiliate ABC 7 NY.

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Topic: United StatesView all posts for the topic: United States

Why hospitals in several states are reinstating mask requirements

Published January 1, 2024

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Published by: ABC News
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By Mary Kekatos

Some hospitals across the United States are reinstating indoor masking rules amid rising cases and hospitalizations of respiratory illnesses including COVID-19 and influenza.

Hospitals in at least six states — California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin — have put masking guidelines in place, according to an ABC News count.

Over the weekend, Mass General Brigham, which is the largest health system in Massachusetts, told ABC News it issued guidelines requiring employee caregivers and those working in patient care areas to wear masks.

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Topic: PhilippinesView all posts for the topic: Philippines

Quezon provincial gov’t reimposes face mask mandate

Published December 29, 2023

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Published by: CNN Philippines
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By CNN Philippines Staff

The provincial government of Quezon has reinstated the mandatory wearing of face masks due to an increasing number of COVID-19 cases and respiratory illnesses.

An order signed by Provincial Governor Angelina Tan on Dec. 27 but made public on Friday said “face masks shall continue to be worn for indoor settings and in outdoor settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained.”

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Topic: MassachusettsView all posts for the topic: Massachusetts

Masking returns at many Massachusetts hospitals — and not just because of COVID

Published December 28, 2023

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Published by: GBH
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By Liz Neisloss

With both COVID-19 and other respiratory virus rates up, nearly all the major hospital groups in Massachusetts are bringing back mask requirements for doctors and staff, and in some cases for patients and visitors as well.

Beth Israel Lahey, Boston Medical Center and Dana Farber have already reimposed requirements. Mass General Brigham and UMass Memorial plan to require masking starting Jan. 2, followed by Tufts Medicine on Jan. 3.

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Topic: MassachusettsView all posts for the topic: Massachusetts

Some hospitals resume mask requirements as respiratory infections rise

Published December 22, 2023

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Published by: The Boston Globe
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By Adam Piore

With COVID-19 cases and other respiratory illnesses rising across the region, some area hospitals have begun to bring back face mask requirements to halt the spread of infections.

Boston Medical Center said Thursday it would resume masking requirements in all patient-care areas beginning Friday. On Monday, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reinstated its mask requirements in all clinical and public spaces, and the Beth Israel Lahey Health system (BILH) updated its policies to require masking for all health care personnel upon entry to a patient room or bed space.

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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

RVH implements universal masking amid rising respiratory illness rates

Published December 20, 2023

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Published by: CTV News
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By Kim Phillips

Simcoe County’s largest health centre is taking action to protect patients, visitors and its staff from the increasing rates of respiratory illnesses in the region by returning to universal masking.

On Wednesday, officials with Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie announced that visitors would be required to wear a hospital-issued mask upon entry, effective immediately.

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Topic: letter to the editorView all posts for the topic: letter to the editor

We must invest in COVID programs

Published December 9, 2023

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Published by: Ottawa Citizen
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By Mike Buckthought

Re: Ottawa Public Health to let go most remaining COVID-19 staff as province ends special pandemic funding, Dec. 3.

I’m deeply disappointed to hear that Ottawa Public Health will be cancelling COVID-19 programs, including immunization services for the general population. The pandemic is not over. According to Statistics Canada, COVID-19 was the third-leading cause of death for Canadians last year.

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Opinion: This is a pandemic of attritionElectron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles. Virus particles are shown emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. Image captured and colourized at NIAID’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana. Photo by: NIAID. Creative Commons CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Generic license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.
Topic: pandemic responseView all posts for the topic: pandemic response

Opinion: This is a pandemic of attrition

Published December 7, 2023

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Published by: Calgary Herald
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By Joe Vipond, Julia M. Wright, Dan Furst

It’s time for our society to admit that we’ve made a mistake and change course. The COVID-is-mild experiment, despite the wishing and the hoping, has been a tragic failure. We aren’t just accepting ongoing hospitalizations and deaths to protect the economy, but also ignoring the social and economic costs of continuing high levels of acute infections. Worse still are more cases of Long COVID, a condition that takes many people entirely out of the workforce. And with every wave, the staffing attrition worsens.

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Now is not the time to end Covid-related services in BCPhoto of a healthcare worker who is wearing blue sterile gloves. Photo by Gustavo Fring via Pexels.
Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

Now is not the time to end Covid-related services in BC

Published December 6, 2023

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Published by: The Georgia Straight
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By Dr. Karina Zeidler, Hannah Siden, E.S. Lee

After 2023, funding for Covid-related services is set to end in BC.

For nearly four years now, British Columbians have been grappling with Covid-19. We’re currently aided by health management initiatives like vaccination, testing, and protective equipment for healthcare workers. Since 2021, these measures have been funded by BC’s Pandemic Recovery Contingencies, a three-year plan that also sustains economic recovery programs and supports for vulnerable community members.

This plan expires at the end of 2023. After that, our government anticipates that “most initiatives will wind down or be integrated into existing government programs.”

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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Masking requirements increase in all areas of Stevenson Memorial Hospital

Published November 24, 2023

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Published by: CTV News
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By Kim Phillips

Masking requirements are increasing at Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) starting on Monday in all areas of the facility, including hallways and shared spaces.

The hospital’s website cites rising COVID-19 cases, including outbreaks at health care and seniors’ facilities as the reason behind the change.

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Topic: AlbertaView all posts for the topic: Alberta

Calgary’s Peter Lougheed Centre adopts masking directive to curb COVID-19 infections

Published November 22, 2023

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Published by: Global News
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By Paula Tran

Calgary’s Peter Lougheed Centre is one of the latest hospitals to adopt Alberta Health Service’s mask directive to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Masking is now required for Peter Lougheed Centre’s staff, physicians, volunteers, contracted service providers and laboratory workers in patient-facing areas of the hospital.

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Topic: AustraliaView all posts for the topic: Australia

WA public hospitals strengthen mask-wearing requirements in response to surging COVID cases

Published November 17, 2023

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Published by: ABC News
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By Kate Christian

Surging COVID cases in Western Australia has seen the first public health measures introduced since the state’s COVID-19 ‘state of emergency’ declaration was dropped.

From Monday, all staff and patients in high-risk hospital clinical areas must wear masks.

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Topic: human rightsView all posts for the topic: human rights

Physicians’ Refusal to Wear Masks to Protect Vulnerable Patients—An Ethical Dilemma for the Medical Profession

Published November 17, 2023

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Published by: JAMA Health Forum
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By Doron Dorfman, Mical Raz, Zackary Berger

On May 11, 2023, the US federal government put an end to the COVID-19–related public health emergency. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) no longer recommends routine universal masking in most health care settings. Many clinicians and staff at hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes around the country have stopped regularly wearing masks. A conflict might arise when patients who are immunocompromised or have other risk factors that increase their susceptibility to COVID-19 complications seek health care and encounter an unmasked clinician. Individuals who have such conditions are considered disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Those disabled patients nowadays must embark on a “personal crusade for public health” to have their needs met.

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Topic: public health measuresView all posts for the topic: public health measures

Substantial decrease noted in severe respiratory illness during first 2 years of pandemic

Published November 15, 2023

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Published by: CIDRAP
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By Stephanie Soucheray

Compared to the 3 years prior to the pandemic, children with medically complex conditions and otherwise healthy children saw decreases in severe non-COVID respiratory illnesses in 2020 and 2021, the authors of a study yesterday note in JAMA Network Open.

The cross-sectional study, based on 139,078 respiratory hospitalizations in Canada, shows that the mitigation efforts used during the first several months of COVID-19 likely prevented serious outcomes from respiratory illness complications, including hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and death.

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