With the threat of influenza at a high level in Oregon, Bay Area Hospital is asking unvaccinated healthcare workers and visitors to wear surgical masks. Dr. Debra Groom, a pathologist and the hospital’s epidemiologist, said the rule took effect Monday, in response to newly issued reports from federal and state health officials. The masks shield patients from visitors or healthcare workers who unwittingly carry the flu virus, she said. “You may have influenza, and the first few days you may have no symptoms or only minor symptoms,” Groom explained. “But you are contagious.” When the flu season started in the fall, Bay Area Hospital implemented a policy requiring masks for the unvaccinated during severe flu outbreaks. The requirement is triggered by two factors: a high incidence of flulike illnesses among patients visiting Oregon physicians; and an official determination that flu is widespread in Oregon. Reports from the Centers for Disease Control and the Oregon Health Authority on Friday showed Oregon meeting both criteria. The mask requirement will remain in effect for seven days after the CDC calls off the alert, Groom said. The mask requirement applies to unimmunized employees, physicians and visitors. It also applies to those who were immunized within the past two weeks, the time required for the vaccine to deliver full immunity. The policy affects anyone entering a patient room or coming within 6 feet of patients in clinical areas. The main purpose of wearing a mask is to protect patients from exposure to infected healthcare workers and visitors, but the mask also protects its wearer, Groom said. Surgical masks are widely available throughout the hospital, including all public entrances. Masking policies are optional for healthcare facilities. Bay Area Hospital’s decision to implement this precautionary policy reflects the hospital’s commitment to patient safety, Groom said. Groom pointed out that it’s not too late to get a flu shot, which is widely available at pharmacies and doctors’ offices. Vaccination is the best way to avoid the flu, she said. Reminder: Visitors under the age of 18 are never allowed in the Family Birth Center, except healthy siblings of the newborn. For details on Oregon’s influenza status, and for a nationwide flu map, go to http://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/CommunicableDisease/DiseaseSurveillanceData/Influenza/Documents/data/FluBites.pdf.
