As COVID-19 and other respiratory infections rise across the country, some major health systems are bringing back mask requirements to stop the spread of infections.
This week, Mass General Brigham, the largest health system in Massachusetts, said it will require masking for health care staff who interact directly with patients in clinical care locations starting Jan. 2.
Patients and visitors will be “strongly encouraged” to wear a facility-issued mask. Masks will not be required for staff in hallways and common areas.
The health system in a statement said its policy is based on the percentage of patients presenting to emergency departments or outpatient clinics with symptoms of respiratory illness.
It’s difficult to communicate with an elderly person whose hearing aid battery has failed (or who refuses to wear them). Communicating with them while wearing a mask is nearly impossible. It honestly complicates their care, and we did it through the entire pandemic.
When my hospital lifted its mask mandate, I thought I would wear a mask forever. It wasn’t discouraged, left totally up to us. But then one time I pulled it down because I couldn’t communicate with a patient. Then I did it again. Eventually I was routinely pulling it down to talk to people, and I thought why even bother?
Naturally I continue to wear one if someone is diagnosed with an actual respiratory illness. But the ease of communicating with the people who compromise the majority of the patient population in a hospital is my primary barrier to going back to wearing one all the time.
One thing we need that would really help is better protections for sick workers so people don’t try to skirt the rules and talk themselves into coming to work in the early stages of an illness.