More than nine million Americans currently reside in regions where local hospitals have reinstated mask mandates, raising concerns that more healthcare facilities will follow suit. Recently, at least seven hospital systems in New York, California, and New Jersey have reintroduced face mask policies. The largest hospital system in New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health, is the most recent addition to this list, requiring patients, visitors, and staff to wear masks and maintain social distancing due to the increase in COVID-19 cases. It is important to note that according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospitalizations and cases are declining across the nation.
Even though millions of Americans are required to wear masks, studies have not definitively proven that masks prevent COVID-19 infections. However, experts still recommend wearing masks in hospitals as employees often come to work while ill. Despite the reintroduction of mask mandates in some hospital systems, there is little evidence to suggest that nationwide mandates will be reinstated. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical officer for COVID-19 at the White House, has essentially ruled out the possibility of nationwide face mask mandates.
RWJBarnabas Health’s decision to reinstate mask mandates affects all twelve of their hospitals, which serve nearly three million patients annually and employ 37,000 medical professionals. A spokesperson for the health system stated that the decision was made due to the increasing prevalence of COVID-19 in these communities. RWJ Barnabas is the largest health system in New Jersey and made this decision shortly after Hackensack Meridian Health, another health system in the state, announced the reintroduction of face mask mandates. Official data indicates a downward trend in COVID-19 hospitalizations in New Jersey, with 521 current hospitalizations compared to 572 seven days ago.
In addition to these hospitals, Champlain Valley Physician’s Hospital in Plattsburgh, New York, reinstated mask mandates after 50 employees contracted COVID-19 and hospital admissions for COVID-19 patients rose. Kaiser Permanente’s facilities in Santa Rosa, California, serving a county of 500,000 people, also reintroduced mask policies. Two Syracuse, New York hospitals brought back mask mandates on their units due to increasing cases. While healthcare facilities may be implementing masking policies to curb local virus spread, doctors emphasize the importance of properly wearing masks, covering both the nose and mouth.
It is worth noting that a comprehensive meta-analysis conducted by the Cochrane Institute, known for evidence-based reviews, found that face masks made little to no difference in preventing COVID-19 infections or deaths. However, this analysis did not thoroughly measure the harms caused by masks, such as hindering children’s education, which may outweigh any minimal benefits on infection rates. On the other hand, experts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend continuing to wear masks in healthcare settings to protect patients, as medical workers often work while sick and asymptomatic individuals can still transmit the virus. Dr. Thomas Moore, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Kansas, asserts that masks do help prevent infections when worn correctly and continuously. While most masks are effective, hospital-grade N95 masks provide the highest level of protection.
Dr. Fauci has stated that nationwide face mask mandates will not be reinstated this winter, even if there is a significant increase in COVID-19 cases. However, he cannot guarantee that masks will not be recommended again in the future. At present, the recent wave of COVID-19 appears to be receding, with a decrease in hospital admissions, positivity rates, and fatalities.
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