Major hospital chain with millions of patients brings back mask mandates

One of the largest US infirmary systems is bringing backmost disguise mandates citing 'substantial levels of respiratory unwellness owed to respective viruses.' 

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) - which treats millions of patients - has announced it volition statesman requiring look masks successful each of its hospitals and outpatient areas opening February 12. 

Masks volition request to beryllium worn successful diligent areas by patients, visitors, enactment and attraction squad members and staff, making Pennsylvania astatine slightest the ninth authorities successful which hospitals person precocious implemented caller masking guidelines. 

UPMC, headquartered successful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, released a connection Monday: 'UPMC is seeing an summation successful cases of respiratory viruses, including Covid, influenza, and RSV. 

'To support the wellness and information of our employees, patients and visitors, everyone successful our wellness attraction facilities volition deterioration effectual masks, which trim transmission of respiratory viruses successful wellness attraction settings.

'We volition proceed to show the fig of cases successful our communities and set arsenic the concern evolves.' 

Three viral infections —  flu, Covid and the cold-like microorganism RSV — are rising. About a twelve states person 'very high' levels of respiratory illness, including Pennsylvania.

And portion hospitals and attraction facilities successful 12 states crossed the state person precocious reinstated disguise mandates and visitant restrictions this viral season, look coverings stay a constituent of contention arsenic grounds connected their effectiveness is mixed. 

The UPMC strategy is simply a $28billion healthcare supplier and insurer and has much than 40 hospitals and 800 doctors and outpatient centers crossed Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and New York.

It is 1 of the top-ranked hospitals successful the state and employs astir 100,000 people. 

The strategy intakes astir 350,000 admissions, has 6.7million outpatient visits and 1million exigency visits, performs 270,000 surgeries and makes 500,000 location attraction visits per year. 

Currently, the CDC reports exigency section visits for flu are precise high, mean for RSV and debased for Covid.

The positivity complaint for influenza increased  to 32 percent implicit the past week, portion Covid and RSV positivity declined to 5 percent and astir 7 percent, respectively. 

However, wastewater samples for Covid are presently high. Levels for RSV are mean and those for the flu are precise high. 

In Pennsylvania, wherever galore UPMC facilities are located, wastewater enactment for flu is presently high.  

And the CDC estimates levels of influenza volition stay precocious and whitethorn summation successful astir states implicit the coming weeks - arsenic the highest of viral play is typically successful February.  

Emergency section visits for the flu accounted for 8 percent of each visits successful the week ending February 1, a leap from 7 percent the week anterior and 5 percent a period ago. 

Covid cases accounted for 1 percent of ED visits, virtually unchanged implicit the past month.

And RSV cases accounted for 0.5 percent, besides mostly unchanged from the erstwhile month. 

According to the CDC, since October 2024, determination person been betwixt 24million and 41million flu cases, up to 18million doctors visits, betwixt 310,000 and 650,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 flu deaths — including astatine slightest 57 children.

RSV has been liable for 2million to 4million doctors visits, up to 230,000 hospitalizations and up to 14,000 deaths during the 2024 to 2025 season.

For Covid, the CDC estimated 10million cases, 2.4million doctors visits, 160,000 hospitalizations and 18,000 deaths.  

The concern has go truthful dire successful immoderate states that hospitals are moving retired of country for patients. 

In Utah, Taryn Bennion brought her two-year-old girl Penelope, who was suffering from severe cases of simultaneous RSV and Covid, to their section hospital, but was told the installation didn't person anymore country for sick children.

Doctors astatine the infirmary successful St George, Utah told Ms Bennion that Penelope would request to beryllium airlifted to different installation due to the fact that they besides didn't person the life-saving instrumentality the miss needed.

From the hospital, Penelope was life-flighted connected February 2, her 2nd birthday, to Intermountain Primary Children's successful Lehi, Utah, wherever she had to beryllium intubated.  

RSV tin beryllium fatal to toddlers 2 and under, though it is rare. But erstwhile combined with Covid, the hazard of terrible unwellness is higher, putting much strain connected the lungs and the immune system.

Both RSV and Covid tin origin inflammation of the airways and rise the hazard of pneumonia and bronchiolitis.

The small miss remained intubated and sedated for 2 days, but is present connected the mend. However, doctors are informing different children could beryllium astatine akin risk.

Dr Nathan Money, a pediatric hospitalist astatine Intermountain Primary Children’s, said: ‘Many hospitals that are big hospitals with pediatric units wrong them, bash not person pediatric intensivists that are staffed wrong them astatine that hospital.

‘So, they tin enactment children with respiratory diseases up to a definite degree, but erstwhile it gets to the constituent of needing intensive care, similar affirmative unit oregon putting successful a conduit and breathing for the child, that requires precise specialized attraction and equipment.’