Hospital-onset COVID-19 surged after end of universal screening, masking

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

HOUSTON — Ending universal masking and admission testing of all hospitalized patients was associated with an increase in hospital-onset COVID-19 at five Massachusetts hospitals, researchers found.

 

“What prompted the study was our published viewpoints that the use of universal masking and testing continues to have value in hospitals where there is a high concentration of vulnerable patients during times of substantial respiratory virus transmission,” Theodore R. Pak, MD, PhD, an infectious diseases fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, told Healio.

...

Pak concluded, “As evidence mounts about the continued impact of hospital-onset respiratory viruses (both in terms of frequency and outcomes), given what we've learned about the efficacy of testing and masking for infection control during the waves of the COVID pandemic and the findings of this study, we would be remiss not to consider the value of these measures during either the next winter or any other future period with high respiratory virus transmission.”

 

(more)

 

https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20240423/hospitalonset-covid19-surged-after-end-of-universal-screening-masking

 

 

[stoner]

22 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

we would be remiss not to consider the value of these measures during either the next winter or any other future period with high respiratory virus transmission.”

 

good luck with that. people are not interested in masking up again any time soon. 

[ukrules]

Some people get ill and require hospital treatment. This has always been the way, always will be.

 

Nothing changes really, not in the grand scheme of things.....and for the most part, nobody cares.

[Robert Paulson]

I say even if masking did help, it is still overreach. Yes. Literally… even if masking saves lives, you still don’t force people to wear masks. 
 

It doesn’t seem like people understand the framework of the above sentiment. Think of it like the 4th amendment and the right to be secure in your home. Just because it would save lives (perhaps it would) for government to be able to invade your privacy, it doesnt matter. You see, that’s how right works. If you trample on them the system is broken and you have bigger problems.

 

so again, even if people die, you still should not enforce masks

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Folks here seem to be missing the clearly stated fact that the OP study here is ONLY talking about whether hospitals themselves should require masking for people entering and working in their facilities as a means to prevent COVID spread among a vulnerable hospitalized population.

 

It's not talking about masking for the public at large.

 

Also, various court rulings have upheld the government's right to enforce mask mandates in various settings during public health emergencies:

 

Not wearing mask during COVID-19 outbreak isn’t protected by free speech, court rules

02/06/24

 

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4452492-not-wearing-mask-during-covid-19-outbreak-isnt-protected-by-free-speech-court-rules/

 

Supreme Court turns away House GOP lawmakers’ appeal over mask rule violations 

02/20/24

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4478298-supreme-court-turns-away-house-gop-lawmakers-appeal-over-mask-rule-violations/

 

[impulse]

I'm not a fan of mandatory public masking at all. But I don't mind masking up to wander around a hospital.  Especially during cold and flu season.

 

Still, I wonder if any other parameters may have occurred at the same time, that may have affected the study results?