Area hospitals and health care systems are reinforcing masking guidance and infection prevention measures across care settings to help protect patients, visitors, and staff from the spread of flu and other respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 and RSV.
Updated Patient Masking Guidance
- Masking required for respiratory symptoms. Patients with flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, fever, or a runny nose are required to wear a mask and notify the front desk upon arrival at provider offices, urgent care centers, and emergency departments. This requirement applies even if the patient has received their annual flu vaccine. At CHKD, families are asked to notify the front desk if their child is unable to wear a mask safely due to age or certain conditions.
- Seeking care while symptomatic. Patients who need medical care should not delay treatment due to symptoms. Masks will be provided as needed and care teams will guide patients on next steps upon arrival.
While vaccination remains the most effective way to reduce the risk of severe illness from the flu, it is not 100 percent effective. Individuals who are vaccinated can still contract and spread the virus. Masking when symptoms are present provides an additional layer of protection.
Additional steps to limit the spread of the flu include frequent handwashing, staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and getting an annual flu vaccine. Patients can keep emergency rooms open for critical cases by choosing primary care or urgent care for flu and respiratory symptoms.
As health care providers, our shared goal is to protect the health of the communities we serve. Individuals infected with the flu can spread the virus before symptoms are fully apparent, making awareness and early precautions critical.
Patients and visitors experiencing flu-like symptoms are encouraged to consider postponing non-essential visits to hospitalized loved ones when possible. Common flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, chills, fatigue, and, in some cases, vomiting or diarrhea.
This flu-related masking guidance will remain in effect while flu activity remains elevated in the region.
About the Author
This year’s recommendation to take the flu shot is not based on science. Here’s a link to an article about the Cleveland Clinic’s study on this year’s flu shot. The Cleveland Clinic, one of the world’s most respected medical facilities, determined that you’re more likely to get the flu when you take the shot this year. As most people know, this vaccine is developed early each year using a guess of what variants will be active this year.
https://publichealthpolicyjournal.com/new-study-flu-vaccination-linked-to-27-increased-risk-of-flu/
that’s funny. its fake news. look at it. every article is negative about vaccines yet it is disguising itself as a medical journal.
all this “article” is is a bunch of loosely quoted statistics.
a true medical journal worthy document would be pages and pages long.
please stop spreading fake news. not only does it make you look like a stupid moron, it also leads other stupid morons to believe that what you are posting is true.
thank you.
-everyone else
Peter, you’re correct. Whatever mental disease Kennedy Jr. has is spreading among the idiot population.
If Americans were told to start washing their a$$es with straight bleach at 6AM today, the shelves would be empty by high noon. The sheep will do just as they are told.
Yea, the sheep! But not you! You’re an alpha WOLF! Lord, you’re embarrassing.
I bet you went and bought some bleach, just in case. You keep doing just as you are told, as I do as I please. You kind of smell like mutton. Wolves love to eat sheep.
Wolves were almost eliminated until we stopped hunting them. Be careful the season may reopen
That is really something to be proud of.
Don’t let you shot-gun mouth overload bb-gun a$$.
Vaccines have been proving that they work for 70 years or more. Though at times some work better than others they still reduce sickness. You would think any idiot would rather be sick for a day or two rather than a week or more. Why would so many follow the advice of a former addict put in place by an orange man who said it was a good idea to explore bleach injections??!!!!!
Simple, because you all are sheep.