Increased circulation of respiratory viruses, including Covid, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, has prompted some hospitals to reintroduce themask obligation. In some, such as the Spedali Civili of Brescia, they have decided to restore the use of Ffp2 masks in all departmentsgiven the growth in Covid cases and beyond.
Mandatory masks, the new regional and national provisions
The return of masks in hospitals was facilitated by the provisions set out in the circular from the Ministry of Healthwhich leaves health directors the discretion to restore the use of masks, evaluating the risks and the increase in virus circulation.
The text of the circular recommends taking into consideration the different contexts and characteristics of patients and visitors, protecting in particular the most vulnerable subjects. And that’s what happened: in various Italian regions, such as Campaniathe health directors have issued instructions for the use of masks in the most sensitive departments, such as geriatrics or those hosting immunosuppressed patients. The objective is to prevent outbreaks in particularly high-risk environments and protect so-called “fragile” people from exposure to respiratory viruses.
Second Federsanità Anci: “The epidemiological aspect is important, but even more so is the awareness of citizens in choosing appropriate behaviours”. In other words, the federation recalls that the use of the mask is a form of personal and collective responsibility, as well as a measure imposed by health institutions.
According to experts it is “absurd” and “useful”: the reaction
The decisions of hospitals like the one in Brescia have sparked various reactions among experts. Massimo Andreoniscientific director of Simit (Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases), supported the choice, underlining the importance of these measures in hospital contexts: “It is right to enter the hospital, where there are fragile subjects, and maintain a reduced circulation of viruses with respiratory transmission”. Andreoni reiterated that protecting vulnerable patients is a priority, especially as the winter season approaches (after a summer with high numbers) and with theincrease in viral infections.
Even the virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco defended the reintroduction of masks: “It is right that health directors take on the responsibility of profiling protection measures,” he said. Pregliasco also underlined how Covid remains one threatespecially for elderly and frail patients, and that a gradual return of anti-Covid measures makes sense in healthcare facilities.
On the other hand, the professor Matteo Bassettidirector of Infectious Diseases at the San Martino hospital in Genoa, said he was against it. According to him: “It is absurd that hospitals are still prisoners of these measures.” Bassetti criticized the fact that swabs for patients and other restrictions are still required, underlining that “we should learn to live with the virus, without having to impose restrictive measures that belong to the past”.
Also Maria Rita Gismondoa microbiologist at the Sacco hospital in Milan, added a more balanced point of view: “There is no new Covid alarm in hospitals, but it is good to maintain hygiene practices such as the use of disinfectant gel and masks in departments with fragile patients”. He underlined how, although hospitalizations and deaths are stable, preventive measures can be useful in reducing the risk of spread.
