PHICS-PHICNA position statement on the use of masks in healthcare facilities in the post-PHEIC status of the COVID-19 Pandemic

PHICS-PHICNA position statement on the use of masks in healthcare facilities in the post-PHEIC status of the COVID-19 Pandemic

December 13, 2023

COVID-19, no longer considered a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), is now an established and ongoing health issue (WHO, 2023). This transition from critical emergency-response activities to longer-term, sustained COVID-19 disease prevention, control and management emphasizes the shift towards integration of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) activities into routine systems and practices. Updated recommendations for health-care facilities include a focus on the hierarchy of control measures, environmental cleaning, transmission-based precautions, and appropriate selection and use of PPE.

The proper wearing of mask as a PPE (or part of a set) reduces the spread of respiratory illnesses within the healthcare setting by decreasing the number of infectious droplets that may be inhaled or exhaled by healthcare workers (HCW), patients, caregivers, and visitors.

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