Mask mandates return at some hospitals as COVID-19 cases rise
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have increased 20% since mid-November, according to the CDC.
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Mask mandates have returned in at least four states as cases of COVID-19, flu, RSV and other respiratory infections rise.
Healthcare facilities in New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts have made masks mandatory among patients and providers, according to Reuters.
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan told WABC TV last week that mask mandates had resumed at all 11 of the city's public hospitals, 30 health centers and five long-term care facilities.
"What we don't want is staffing shortages, right? When we saw the omicron wave in 2022, the biggest issues were not only people getting sick, but that we had a lot of frontline health workers, they were out with COVID," Vasan reportedly said.
There's been a 3% rise in emergency room visits from COVID-19 from December 24-30, according to the most recent data posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 tracker.
The upward trend has been ongoing since at least November 11. The CDC shows a 12.8% increase in ER visits from November 11 through December 30, 2023. Hospitalizations during that time increased over 20%.
Deaths from COVID-19 increased 3.6% between December 24 and 30, the trend being a 12.5% increase from November 11 to December 30.
But the respiratory disease respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has led to more emergency hospitalizations than the flu and the Omicron variant of COVID-19, according to recent findings in JAMA.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Vaccines are considered the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but only 18% of the U.S. population age 5 years and above has received an updated booster, according to CDC data. Over the age of 65, that figure rises to more than 40% of the population.
These numbers are lower than what the federal government would like to see.
THE LARGER TREND
Mask mandates were controversial during the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming a political issue.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org
