So we’re really doing this?

Dropping mask requirements in healthcare organizations?

Four months ago, I fell, breaking my right wrist, left elbow, nose, and a couple of ribs. This resulted in extensive surgery and a five day hospital stay. I didn’t know at the time just how lucky I actually was. Masks were still required in this hospital during my stay.

A few days later, the mask requirement was dropped, and I, like many other chronically ill and immunocompromised people, were left wondering how we are expected to access safe healthcare now.

I can choose whether or not I want to eat at a restaurant or go shopping or go to a concert. I no longer ask or expect anybody else to mask when I am out in public.

But safe access to healthcare should not be something that I am fighting for. And to be clear, this isn’t just a fight for those of us who are already diagnosed with “ underlying conditions”. Healthcare organizations are required to make every effort to reduce hospital acquired, or nosocomial, infections for every person who enters the hospital. This includes their staff as well.

So I went looking for reasons why this mass delusional insistence that providing protection from an airborne pathogen in a hospital is no longer needed.

As expected, there were none.

Healthcare executives, who were brave enough to go on the record said things like “It just feels like it’s time” and “We are ready to see everybody’s smiles” and “People are tired of being reminded that there is a pandemic”

The decision to drop masking requirements in hospitals was based on feelings. Not facts. Not science. Not out of care or concern for protecting the sick and vulnerable. Just because it feels like it’s time.

The Covid emergency ended. The Covid pandemic did not.

So now, we are left with the most dangerous version of “ choose your own adventure” in trying to reduce exposure to covid, a known airborne, bio-safety Level 3 pathogen.

A few weeks after my initial injury and hospitalization, I had to have a second surgery on my wrist. Due to insurance issues, the surgery took place at a different hospital than the original surgery. The mask requirement had been dropped at this hospital by this time. I will give them credit, however, because when they saw that my husband and I were wearing our N95 masks, they asked if I would prefer if staff masked while in my room. It was a pleasant surprise, and certainly helped reduce my overall anxiety about surgery.

Throughout this time, I had to access healthcare services at least once a week for OT and follow up appointments. Even with runny noses and coughs, not a single staff member offered to mask while working with me. Should also note that I lost a week of OT services due to covid sweeping through the staff. Shocker.

Then last week, I had to have a third surgery on my wrist at yet another hospital. But same story, rinse and repeat. It’s fine if I wear a mask, and they assured me it would stay on during surgery. But trying to stay masked while feeling sick, sedated, and clearly not able to think straight, caused an internal crisis of trying to weigh my immediate need for comfort against the risk of exposure.

I share all of this to say, we need to be fighting for masks in healthcare settings. Period. Not just for me. Or the chronically ill. Or the underlying conditions folks.

We all deserve to have safe access to healthcare services.

I urge you to read this article and consider signing her petition.

Stay safe💗

https://www.wpr.org/vulnerable-immunocompromised-covid-19-patient-retreat-mask-mandates-betrayal