Due to low numbers of H1N1 and seasonal flu cases at UC Davis Medical Center, in California and around the country, employees, students, volunteers and contractors who have not been vaccinated for the illnesses do not have to wear masks while working at UC Davis’ Sacramento campus or any UC Davis Health System facility.

A requirement to either receive the flu vaccines or wear a mask while at work was established in a policy set by the health system in September. The policy was in response to the H1N1 pandemic, as declared in June by the World Health Organization.

“The goal of our policy is the safety of our workforce and patients,” said Allan Siefkin, chief medical officer for the health system. “The data has changed since early December. Because our caseload is now low, wearing masks is not required.”

‘Sharp decline’ in cases

Siefkin and Stuart Cohen, the health system’s infection prevention officer, will review the flu caseload at the hospital and clinics on a weekly basis. The requirement to wear masks will be reinstated if the number of flu cases rises to a level that warrants it.

“During the peak of the pandemic, we were seeing multiple potential cases of H1N1 in the hospital on a daily basis, with 10 to 20 new confirmed cases per week, and our emergency department and clinics were inundated with patients who had symptoms of the disease,” said Siefkin. “In the last few weeks, we’ve had a sharp decline in the number of these patients in the hospital, the emergency department and our clinics.”

However, Siefkin said that in the Sacramento area, the flu season typically occurs in January and February, so wearing masks may eventually be required if conditions are severe enough.

The current suspension of the requirement to wear masks follows the health system’s new policy on influenza vaccination requirements. According to the policy, the masks are required “during any period declared by the Infection Prevention Officer and Chief Medical Officer to be an ‘influenza high risk’ period.”

Other mask policies

The kind of mask to be worn by those who are not vaccinated is determined by where an individual works and the kind of work he or she performs. Direct patient-care providers will wear procedural masks at all times, and N95 respirator masks when caring for patients with suspected or verified H1N1.

More information is available online,iam.ucdavis.edu, or from Gastón De Ferrari, project manager, gdeferrari@ucdavis.edu.

— UC Davis Health System