One of the largest US hospital systems is bringing back mask mandates citing ‘substantial levels of respiratory illness due to several viruses.’
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) – which treats millions of patients – has announced it will begin requiring face masks in all of its hospitals and outpatient areas beginning February 12.
Masks will need to be worn in patient areas by patients, visitors, support and care team members and staff, making Pennsylvania at least the ninth state in which hospitals have recently implemented new masking guidelines.
UPMC, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, released a statement Monday: ‘UPMC is seeing an increase in cases of respiratory viruses, including Covid, influenza, and RSV.
‘To protect the health and safety of our employees, patients and visitors, everyone in our health care facilities will wear effective masks, which reduce transmission of respiratory viruses in health care settings.
‘We will continue to monitor the number of cases in our communities and adjust as the situation evolves.’
Three viral infections — flu, Covid and the cold-like virus RSV — are rising. About a dozen states have ‘very high’ levels of respiratory illness, including Pennsylvania.
And while hospitals and care facilities in 12 states across the country have recently reinstated mask mandates and visitor restrictions this viral season, face coverings remain a point of contention as evidence on their effectiveness is mixed.
The UPMC system has more than 40 hospitals across the country, including a children’s hospital (pictured above)
The UPMC system is a $28billion healthcare provider and insurer and has more than 40 hospitals and 800 doctors and outpatient centers across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and New York.
It is one of the top-ranked hospitals in the country and employs approximately 100,000 people.
The system intakes about 350,000 admissions, has 6.7million outpatient visits and 1million emergency visits, performs 270,000 surgeries and makes 500,000 home care visits per year.
Currently, the CDC reports emergency department visits for flu are very high, moderate for RSV and low for Covid.
The positivity rate for influenza increased to 32 percent over the last week, while Covid and RSV positivity declined to five percent and nearly seven percent, respectively.
However, wastewater samples for Covid are currently high. Levels for RSV are moderate and those for the flu are very high.
In Pennsylvania, where many UPMC facilities are located, wastewater activity for flu is currently high.
And the CDC estimates levels of influenza will remain high and may increase in most states over the coming weeks – as the peak of viral season is typically in February.
Emergency department visits for the flu accounted for eight percent of all visits in the week ending February 1, a jump from seven percent the week prior and five percent a month ago.
Covid cases accounted for one percent of ED visits, virtually unchanged over the past month.
And RSV cases accounted for 0.5 percent, also mostly unchanged from the previous month.
According to the CDC, since October 2024, there have been between 24million and 41million flu cases, up to 18million doctors visits, between 310,000 and 650,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 flu deaths — including at least 57 children.
RSV has been responsible for 2million to 4million doctors visits, up to 230,000 hospitalizations and up to 14,000 deaths during the 2024 to 2025 season.
For Covid, the CDC estimated 10million cases, 2.4million doctors visits, 160,000 hospitalizations and 18,000 deaths.
The situation has become so dire in some states that hospitals are running out of room for patients.
In Utah, Taryn Bennion brought her two-year-old daughter Penelope, who was suffering from severe cases of simultaneous RSV and Covid, to their local hospital, but was told the facility didn’t have anymore room for sick children.
Doctors at the hospital in St George, Utah told Ms Bennion that Penelope would need to be airlifted to another facility because they also didn’t have the life-saving equipment the girl needed.
From the hospital, Penelope was life-flighted on February 2, her second birthday, to Intermountain Primary Children’s in Lehi, Utah, where she had to be intubated.
On February 2, Penelope had to be life-flighted from her local hospital to Intermountain Primary Children’s hospital in Lehi, Utah because of a lack of resources
Penelope’s mom Taryn Bennion was told at the hospital in their hometown of St George, ‘Well we don’t have any beds in Salt Lake, but we have six beds available in Lehi’
RSV can be fatal to toddlers two and under, though it is rare. But when combined with Covid, the risk of severe illness is higher, putting more strain on the lungs and the immune system.
Both RSV and Covid can cause inflammation of the airways and raise the risk of pneumonia and bronchiolitis.
The little girl remained intubated and sedated for two days, but is now on the mend. However, doctors are warning other children could be at similar risk.
Dr Nathan Money, a pediatric hospitalist at Intermountain Primary Children’s, said: ‘Many hospitals that are adult hospitals with pediatric units within them, do not have pediatric intensivists that are staffed within them at that hospital.
‘So, they can support children with respiratory diseases up to a certain degree, but when it gets to the point of needing intensive care, like positive pressure or putting in a tube and breathing for the child, that requires very specialized care and equipment.’
