Hospitals in at least six states are resuming mask mandates as rates of respiratory illness from COVID-19, the flu, and RSV continue to rise across the country.
Large healthcare systems in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin have resumed masking requirements for their facilities, four years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEWSOM EXTENDS FREE HEALTHCARE TO 700,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DESPITE RECORD BUDGET DEFICIT
Respiratory illness accounted for slightly over 8% of all emergency department visits in the United States for the third week in December, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over 29,000 hospital admissions for the week ending in Dec. 23 were due to COVID-19, the highest figure reported since January 2023.
Flu hospitalizations also rose substantially, from nearly 10,000 the week ending Dec. 16 to over 14,700 the following week.
Thirty-one states and Washington, D.C., are experiencing “high” or “very high” rates of respiratory illness based upon the CDC’s estimates of weekly percentages of visits to outpatient or emergency healthcare centers for fever, cough, and sore throat symptoms.
Although the majority of health systems have issued masking guidelines based upon internal recommendations, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a mandate on Wednesday requiring “all healthcare personnel” and “all visitors” to wear masks at hospitals until the county’s COVID-19 admission levels reach below the “medium” level.
“Ultimately, health systems, hospitals, places that deliver care are going to see some of the most vulnerable and at-risk individuals — many, with underlying conditions,” John Brownstein, an epidemiologist with Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor, said on Monday following the reintroduction of the institution’s mask mandates.
Although there has been heated controversy over the efficacy of masks, some public health experts continue to advise masking to protect against the spread of respiratory droplets.
“[S]o when we have this rapid rise in respiratory illness, those are going to be the first places to try to use measures to reduce chances of transmission, both to protect patients, those receiving care, as well as workforce,” Brownstein said.
Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC have warned America about a “tripledemic” in which all three diseases strain the healthcare system simultaneously.
Vaccination rates for the updated COVID-19 vaccine remain lower than initial levels, with only 38% of seniors obtaining the newest version of the product. Compliance with RSV vaccines for seniors is also lower than anticipated, with fewer than 16% of seniors over 60 obtaining the RSV shot.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Older residents have also increasingly declined the flu vaccine compared to the first year of the pandemic.
For the 2020-2021 season, 54% of those between 50 and 64 received a flu shot, as did 75% of those over 65. For the 2022-2023 season, only 50% and 70%, respectively, were vaccinated against the flu.
