Jan 3 (Reuters) - Hospitals in at least four U.S. states have reinstated mask mandates amid a rise in cases of COVID, seasonal flu and other respiratory illness.

 

Healthcare facilities in New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts have made masks mandatory among patients and providers.

...

The most recent weekly data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed there were over 29,000 hospitalizations from COVID across the U.S. from Dec. 17-23, up more than 16% from the previous week.

 

(more)

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/mask-mandates-return-some-us-hospitals-covid-flu-jump-2024-01-04/

 

 

 

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home

 

 

"Data during recent periods are incomplete because of the lag in time between when a death occurs and when a death certificate is completed, submitted to NCHS, and processed for reporting.

 

This delay can range from 1 week to 8 weeks or more, depending on the jurisdiction. The most recent 3 weeks of mortality counts are shaded grey and mortality rates shown as dotted lines because NVSS reporting is <95% during this period."

 

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_weeklydeaths_select_00

 

Interesting how those are 4 of the most liberal states in the country.

Just sayin.

 

Add hospitals in North Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin to the list:

Hospitals in at least 6 states are requiring masks indoors

"Some hospitals across the United States are reinstating indoor masking rules amid rising cases and hospitalizations of respiratory illnesses including COVID-19 and influenza.

 

Hospitals in at least six states -- California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin -- have put masking guidelines in place, according to an ABC News count.

...

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows 31 states, plus Washington, D.C., are experiencing '"high" or "very high" levels of respiratory illness activity, described as people visiting their primary care office or the emergency departments with respiratory complaints such as fever, sore throat or cough."

 

(more)

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/hospitals-in-at-least-6-states-are-requiring-masks-indoors/ar-AA1mk5k6

 

 

Anecdotally in a non scientific study, we've had a surge in COVID illness at work over the past month or two.

 

I'd kinda forgotten about it than all of a sudden a bunch of folks started getting sick, all COVID.

 

Nobody hospitalized, so that's good.

 

I think we all just need to recognize that where we used to get an annual flu shot, you now get an annual flu+COVID shot.

 

As for masks in hospitals.

They are a seething hot mess of viruses and bacteria, wearing a mask won't kill you, catching one of those viruses just might!