On April 15, health centers in Chili will demand again the use of face mask both medical staff and patients attending emergency services. This provision, published in the Official Gazette, responds to a new health alert decreed by the Ministry of Health before the increase in respiratory diseases.
Although for many the use of masks It was left behind with the end of the Covid-19 Pandemia, reality shows a different panorama: respiratory viruses remain active and varied. According to the Institute of Public Health (ISP), among the pathogens detected in recent weeks are rhinovirus, influenza A and B, Parainfluenza, VRS and SARS-COV-2, among others.
Where will this measure be applied again?
The measure will be applied exclusively in the emergency services of all levels, public and private, where the risk of infection is greater due to the high circulation of patients with symptoms. The Ministry has specified that they should be used masks Surgical, medical or respirators of high efficiency such as N95 or KN95.
ISP specialists have indicated that the analysis of hospital and ambulatory samples reveals an intense viral circulation in the country. Therefore, the mandatory use of face mask It seeks to prevent mass contagios and especially protect the most vulnerable groups, such as older adults and people with chronic diseases.
However, the decision is not exempt from controversy. While sectors of the medical field applaud the measure as an effective way to anticipate a sanitary collapse, others criticize the lack of clarity in communication to the population and question the extension of the obligation until August 31, in principle.
In a scenario where the pandemic memory is still present, the masks They occupy a central role again, at least in the emergency centers. The measure, beyond its obligation, also reactivates reflection on how to take care collectively in persistent viruses.
