Massachusetts hospitals lift requirement for all patients, visitors and employees to wear face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID.
The move represents a broad policy change to manage COVID as an everyday health problem, rather than managing it as a crisis, more than three years after the pandemic began.
Universal masking requirements are in effect from 2020. Now state and federal officials are winding back many pandemic-era policies to end his COVID public health emergency on May 11.
This includes a statewide masking order for medical facilities. Hospitals can still choose to require masks, but several hospital leaders told WBUR to make masks optional in most clinical areas starting next Friday, the day after the public health emergency ends. I told you.
Hospital systems changing policy include Mass General Brigham, Beth Israel Rahee Health, Boston Medical Center, Tufts Medicine, and UMass Memorial Health.
Dr. Sharon Wright, chief infection prevention officer at Beth Israel Lahey, said universal masking was “very effective” early in the pandemic. But now, COVID numbers are down and tests, vaccines and treatments are widely available.
“Given these changing circumstances, we are in a safer place at this time to end universal masking,” Wright said in a statement.
Hospitals will maintain mask requirements in some areas. For example, UMass Memorial requires employees to wear masks in emergency departments and cancer treatment clinics. But UMass Memorial Chief Executive Officer Dr. Eric Dixon said masks will be an option for patients and visitors.
“We’ve been through a lot together during the pandemic. One requirement that we know has saved lives was universal masking in medical settings,” Dixon told staff. , which was shared with WBUR.
“However, now that we are out of the pandemic, it is a welcome moment to relax some of these requirements in certain areas while respecting the personal preferences of those who wish to continue wearing masks,” he said. I am writing.
In a memo to staff, Tufts Chief Infection Control Officer Dr. Shira Doron said the policy change was an important milestone in the long journey of healthcare workers, and was “with mixed emotions.” I acknowledge that it is possible.
COVID spreads through the air and can spread the virus even without symptoms.
Masking in healthcare facilities is a key strategy for controlling the spread of COVID, with hospitals flooded with large numbers of critically ill COVID patients in the early days of the pandemic. At the time, doctors and hospital leaders were appealing to the public to wear masks in medical facilities and elsewhere.
Recently, COVID cases and hospitalizations have fallen to their lowest levels since spring 2020.
But Dr. Lara Zilmanus, a primary care physician who co-founded the Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity, said she was appalled that hospitals were reducing mask requirements. It said it would harm patients who are deficient and at high risk of getting sick with COVID.
“I know people who have already told me that they will forgo necessary medical care because they are concerned about the credible threat of contracting COVID in clinics,” she said. “Masks also prevent respiratory infections like the flu, so why is healthcare trying to get rid of them?”
State health officials told WBUR that the decision to lift statewide masking orders next week follows “extensive conversations” with medical experts. We are closely tracking COVID-19 cases and will adjust as the situation evolves,” said a spokesperson for the department.
Hospital leaders also said they would evaluate and revise mask policies as needed.
Dr. Ted Callianos, president of the Massachusetts Medical Association, said in a statement that he would advise people to reconsider wearing masks if COVID infections rise again.
Katie Murphy, president of the Massachusetts Association of Nurses, said many nurses are likely to continue wearing masks at work to protect themselves and their patients.
“COVID is still out there,” said ICU nurse Murphy.
“We are still exposed to people who may be asymptomatic carriers of COVID. We continue to care for those who are still immunocompromised.”
More than 22,000 people have died from COVID in Massachusetts since the pandemic began.
Older people and people with underlying medical conditions are most at risk of serious illness. But thanks to treatments, vaccines, and immunity from previous infections, the disease has become less serious for most people. is shown.
