PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Health has announced that cases of flu in Rhode Island are widespread, triggering the requirement that unvaccinated health care workers in hospitals and health care facilities wear surgical masks.
Flu activity in the state is characterized as no activity, sporadic, local, regional, or widespread depending on data of diagnoses from doctors’ offices, according to the R.I. Department of Health.
In December, flu activity in Rhode Island was in the regional range.
Widespread influenza is declared with outbreaks of influenza and recent laboratory-confirmed influenza in at least half the regions of the state, according to RIDOH.
Joseph Wendelken, public information officer for the R.I. Department of Health, said the department doesn’t verify individual flu cases at the lab, since the preponderance of cases would make testing each one an onerous logistical and financial burden. Rather, he said, the department uses reports from doctors of influenza-like illness. Thus far this flu season, Wendelken said, there have been 113 cases of ILI reported in Rhode Island.
So far this year, as of Jan. 3, there have been two influenza-related deaths in the state.
“The masking requirement is critical in protecting health care workers from catching the flu, and also in protecting patients who are often dealing with other serious health issues,” said Director of Health Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott. “For people who have not been vaccinated yet, it is not too late. Flu vaccine is the best way to keep yourself and the people you love safe from the flu.”
The health care facilities and organizations to which this regulation applies:
- Adult day care programs
- Assisted living facilities
- CVS Minute Clinics
- Free-standing ambulatory care surgical centers
- Free-standing emergency care facilities
- Home care providers
- Home nursing care providers
- Hospice providers
- Hospitals
- Kidney treatment centers
- Nursing facilities
- Organized ambulatory care facilities
- Physician ambulatory surgery centers
Unvaccinated health care workers in these facilities must wear surgical masks when involved in direct patient contact. Direct patient contact is considered routinely anticipated face-to-face contact with patients, such as entering a patient’s room, serving food to patients, or participating in group patient activities.
In addition to the health care workers in these facilities, all licensed emergency medical services practitioners who have not been vaccinated against the flu must wear masks when engaged in direct patient contact.
Though school-based flu clinics were held earlier this fall, getting vaccinated is still a good idea. Flu shots for adults are still available at doctors’ offices or at a pharmacies, according to the Health Department’s website.
Flu vaccine is also available at Southcoast Health Urgent Care centers in Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Wareham and Seekonk.
Everyone older than 6 months of age should be vaccinated against the flu every year, according to the Health Department. In addition to health care workers, vaccination is particularly important for pregnant women, people over the age of 50, nursing or group home residents, and people with chronic conditions (such as heart, lung, or kidney disease, diabetes, asthma, anemia, blood disorders, or weakened immune systems).
Symptoms of the flu can include fever, cough, head and body aches, fatigue and runny nose. Some people also have vomiting and diarrhea.
Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Borkowski@PBN.com.
