Just in time for the holidays, three highly contagious viruses have joined forces to create new health hazards. As a result, many nursing facilities are grappling with whether to impose mask mandates.
As if it wasn’t bad enough that providers have been dealing with COVID-19 for nearly three years, we appear to be on the cusp of a banner flu season. And for good measure, respiratory syncytial virus (better known as RSV) has joined the fray.
And as the carnage escalates, health experts are renewing recommendations to wear medical masks in public and on the job.
From their perspective, the rationale is clear: Masks are one of the most effective tools for preventing virus spread. They can literally mean the difference between life and death for those with compromised health conditions, such as most nursing home residents.
Yet to say the long-term care field has been less than enthusiastic about universal mask requirements would be an extreme understatement. There are probably several reasons for such recalcitrance.
Staff burnout is a good place to start. COVID-19 forced operators to adapt unprecedented infection control protocols. They included masks and other protective gear that have been anything but convenient to wear. Let’s face it, who wants to breathe through a filter all day (which is essentially what a mask is), or wear uncomfortable, itchy, sweat-inducing gear? Especially if the additional wearables are not viewed as helpful.
Which brings us to a second matter. In many places, COVID-19 is as much a political as a healthcare issue. At least 40% of this nation thinks masks don’t really help. I’m not here to debate the merits of this view. I’m merely pointing out that it very much exists.
Then there’s this: What may be good from a public health perspective can cause significant economic woes. I hardly need to explain how this is relevant to long-term care. Rare is the facility that has not seen revenues fall and costs rise during the current pandemic. Preventive measures such as masks and isolation surely help limit the spread of illness. But they can take an enormous toll on businesses. And fuel other unexpected negative outcomes.
We’re hearing more almost every day about the mental health toll the pandemic has taken. Millions among us are experiencing more stress, anxiety, fear, loneliness and depression.
To be sure, there are going to be risks associated with a facility’s decision to mandate or not mandate mask wearing. There will be related consequences as well. Both known and unknown.
John O’Connor is editorial director for McKnight’s.
Opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News columns are not necessarily those of McKnight’s.
