This is a very controversial issue.Several eminent expert They argue that the downsides of making masks mandatory in hospitals outweigh the benefits. defended by others Changing the medical paradigm to maintain universal masking for the foreseeable future.
Last month, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced a new policy In my view, this achieves a sensible middle ground. While masks are no longer required in most clinical settings, they are still mandatory in areas serving high-risk patients. The latter category includes dialysis clinics, transplantation and chemotherapy departments, acute care and emergency departments. The VA’s guidance also clarifies that COVID-19 patients should continue to wear masks and that patients can request masks from health care workers to protect themselves.
I spoke with the VA Undersecretary of Health. sheriff ernahal To better understand how he and his team came to this compromise.
Ernajal said he is prioritizing two key factors. The first is to protect the most vulnerable veterans, which is why this obligation remains for facilities that treat large numbers of high-risk patients.
The second was a veteran’s favourite. “Families and caregivers of veterans have asked why mask-wearing is still required after the public health emergency in some medical and surgical departments dealing with minor health problems, as well as in ambulatory care. We got a lot of feedback in the environment.” The clear opinion he and other veterans leaders received was that the veteran and his family did not want universal masks to continue in all circumstances.
“Our most important duty is to serve veterans when they want,” Elnajal told me. Policy had to take this into account, not just expert opinion, scientific evidence and evolving circumstances.
In fact, we are in a much different phase of the pandemic than we were a few years ago, and we have more tools to prevent and treat COVID-19. The Department of Veterans Affairs is encouraging patients and employees to stay up-to-date on vaccines, and Ernajal said the agency is launching a virtual “treatment” that offers paxlovid prescriptions via telemedicine to ensure early treatment. It pointed out that it has introduced a program of inspections for
Importantly, the VA policy is a floor, not a ceiling. This means that local medical centers can add mask requirements if they see fit. For example, if an outbreak occurs in a particular nursing home or hospital, that facility may impose additional requirements beyond national guidelines. And in the future, if, for example, more worrying variants or new dangerous pathogens set the alarm, the policy could be revisited.
I asked Elnajal how he feels about the easing of mask requirements so far. He said an overwhelming majority of people, including veterans, caregivers and employees, say the VA strikes the right balance.
Agree. Few public health policies satisfy everyone, and finding compromises on controversial topics such as masking is a daunting task. I think the VA is demonstrating the right values in decision making. It is clear that most Americans do not support the universal demand for masks, and that a sizeable vocal minority vehemently opposes it. On the one hand, medical settings must protect the most vulnerable patients. A reasonable compromise can be reached by identifying areas frequented by high-risk patients and mandating mask-wearing in those environments while removing mask mandates elsewhere.
In the meantime, health facilities, as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs, need to make clear that patients, families and caregivers have the right to require health care workers to wear masks during their appointments. Fear of catching coronavirus should not deter you from having cancer screenings, dental cleanings, or other routine visits. Healthcare workers should also comply with patient requests to wear masks.
Finally, those concerned about infection risk should keep in mind that one-way masks, i.e. wearing masks even when others around them are not wearing them, are very protective for the wearer. there is. People who want to avoid coronavirus and other respiratory viruses should wear a good-fitting, high-quality mask (N95, KN95, or KF94) at all times while in indoor public areas, including health care settings .
And don’t forget other precautions, including good hand hygiene, which reduces the transmission of not only coronavirus but many other infectious agents.
