Back to the future: Redefining "universal precautions" to include masking for all patient encounters
Author Department
Infectious Diseases; Medicine
Document Type
Article, Peer-reviewed
Publication Date
2-2023
Abstract
Despite recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allowing institutions to relax in-facility masking strategies and due to our evolving understanding of respiratory pathogen transmission during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we propose an updated standard for universal precautions in healthcare settings: permanently including universal masking in routine patient-care interactions. Such a practice prioritizes safety for patients, healthcare providers (HCPs), and visitors.
Recommended Citation
Kalu IC, Henderson DK, Weber DJ, Haessler S. Back to the future: Redefining "universal precautions" to include masking for all patient encounters. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023 Feb 10:1-2. doi: 10.1017/ice.2023.2. Epub ahead of print.
PMID
36762631