According to new CDC recommendations quietly released last week, the federal government no longer recommends universal masking in healthcare facilities.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention edict Overturning nearly two-and-a-half years of guidance issued on Friday, it says face coverings are now only required in hospitals and nursing homes where COVID-19 transmission is high.
Facilities can now “choose not to require” that patients, doctors, and visitors wear masks at all times when the virus is low. The guidance also applies to home health care and may be overridden by local measures, the CDC said. Does not apply to non-Healthcare settings.
Immunocompromised patients and caregivers working in some of the facilities experiencing the COVID-19 outbreak will be required to wear masks regardless of their level of infection, officials said.
Community transmission defines the amount of spread of COVID-19, and is defined as “a measure of community transmission in healthcare settings to allow early intervention before it overwhelms the healthcare system and to better protect individuals seeking care in these settings. It is the currently recommended indicator for guiding selected practices,” says the CDC.
“Updates have been made to reflect the high levels of immunity induced by vaccines and infections and the availability of effective treatment and prevention tools,” the agency wrote as basis for the relaxed guidance. .
The withdrawal of the guidelines, introduced in April 2020, was criticized by some medical experts who considered it counterproductive.
“This nuanced approach has never worked during the pandemic. People hear, ‘No more masks!'” murmured Jerome Adams, who served as U.S. Surgeon General for most of former President Donald Trump’s administration.
Dr. Zachary Rubin, a pediatric allergist and clinical immunologist in Illinois, tweeted:
“As we head into winter, access to all care may become less.”
In 69% of U.S. counties, high transmittance Wednesday, including the entire New York City metro area, according to CDC data. As of September 22nd, 7% of US counties were “high risk” areas. the agency said.
