It’s NOT Halloween – It’s a Scary Flu Season
OMG! It’s a MASKADEMIC! Our hospital reminds me of Asia during the Sars Epidemic ‘cuz everyone’s wearing a MASK! Crazy! It’s like the opposite of what we learned in ER Volunteer Training when our Supervisor Charlayne told us –
Ya’ll need to wear masks around patients in ISO, but be sure to remove them when you’re walkin’ around. It’s like wearin’ rubber gloves in the waitin’ room. They give the wrong message.
Things are different now with the current strain of Flu — because it’s much stronger, scarier, and more virulent than in previous years. The new Flu is a RISK to the young, the old, the high-risk and even to HEALTHY humans. Yeah, it’s Twilight-Zone-y, sorta like that movie Gwyneth Paltrow was in: CONTAGION. Well no, not that bad — but seriously, this new Flu can be a matter of life-and-death. No kidding!
Our Current Hospital Policy (Through the end of March) —
- If you’re visiting a patient you’re required to wear a mask.
- If you’re a little bit sick, you’re required to wear a mask .
- If you’re sitting in the waiting room, you’re required to wear a mask.
Bizarrely the people who don’t have to wear masks are Hospital Personnel. We’re required to wear a little green tag that proves we had a Flu Shot. And for Hospital Personnel who can’t or won’t have a Flu Shot, it’s leave-of-absence time – till the end of Flu Season.
So don’t freak out if you visit a Hospital and there’s a Maskademic. It’s like Purell-ing whenever you can — it’s for everyone’s protection including your own. So stay well, feel good and wash your hands! You never know who touched what — whenever, whenever… YIKES!