Can anyone explain why medical treatment facilities to include the VA are still requiring face masks?

2022-10-23T10:35:21-04:00

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Oct 23 at 2022 1:20 PM

2022-10-23T13:20:51-04:00

Healthcare facilities should be expected to put in place adequate protective measures to prevent the spread of the virus, especially when people with the virus tend to go there to be treated. If you don't appreciate that, nobody is forcing you to go to a treatment facility.

Response by SP5 Peter Keane made Oct 23 at 2022 1:47 PM

2022-10-23T13:47:35-04:00

Could be it is because of the 521000 new cases last week.

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_newcases

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Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 23 at 2022 4:06 PM

2022-10-23T16:06:16-04:00

COVID-19 is still killing people; it is still around and so are it's mutations. I appreciate the mask policy, it's an easy pre-caution. We have already broken the ice and developed a normalcy to it, no big deal to me.

Response by SSG Laurie Mullen made Oct 23 at 2022 4:53 PM

2022-10-23T16:53:10-04:00

I went to a women's center at the hospital (civilian) for an exam last week. They still require a mask and I have no problems with that. When I got my eyes examined recently they required a mask too.

Response by Maj John Bell made Oct 23 at 2022 6:42 PM

2022-10-23T18:42:18-04:00

It seems to me that the likelihood of encountering someone who is infected with COVID is higher at a medical facility than the corner grocery store.

Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Oct 23 at 2022 6:51 PM

2022-10-23T18:51:08-04:00

SFC Jim Freshour I don't agree with it but since the VA is my primary care and if I want them to take care of me, I follow the orders to mask up while inside. When I was getting my MRI a couple weeks ago, they let me take it off while I was under the machine. I'm just very thankful that my school discontinued the requirement of wearing them. Every try to teach all day under a mask? I was short of breath and had to go to the hallway occasionally to rejuvenate myself. Some days I took my students outside for a breath of fresh air so we could unmask for a few minutes.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 23 at 2022 8:29 PM

2022-10-23T20:29:20-04:00

I'd say this falls under the same guidelines as personal businesses requiring masks. Or pants. Or shirts.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 23 at 2022 9:13 PM

2022-10-23T21:13:48-04:00

Do masks work?

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Oct 23 at 2022 9:36 PM

2022-10-23T21:36:17-04:00

The short answer is CDC guidelines say so. They have stricter policies in place regarding health care settings.

Response by SP5 Dennis Loberger made Oct 23 at 2022 10:00 PM

2022-10-23T22:00:46-04:00

Many folks in the hospital are very vulnerable. A mask at least provides some protection for them. I am happy to make that small move if it protects them even the slightest

Response by PFC Patricia Acton made Oct 23 at 2022 11:34 PM

2022-10-23T23:34:29-04:00

In my area of Virginia, the Covid virus mutation has the hospitals filling up again. I'm expecting to wear a mask for the rest of my life so I can live.

Response by LCDR Adam Barron made Oct 24 at 2022 2:52 AM

2022-10-24T02:52:11-04:00

Medical facilities have an increased concentration of two groups, (first) the sick, who may have undiagnosed COVID, and (second) the infirm... diabetics, immunosuppressed, heart and lung patients, who might get very sick, even from omicron variant. In a VA facility these two groups may be in close contact... A vital phrase guiding the health care profession is "first do no harm". In other words, coming in for medical treatment should not have an unnecessary risk to make one sick. It also protects the workers who see so many patients.

Response by LCDR Adam Barron made Oct 24 at 2022 4:21 AM

2022-10-24T04:21:10-04:00

Hospitals have sick people. Some people have undiagnosed Covid. Others may be highly vulnerable to COVID due to diabetes, heart or lung disease. You can protect the two groups from each by making everyone where masks, and protect the staff as well.

Response by MSgt Robert E. M. made Oct 24 at 2022 9:25 AM

2022-10-24T09:25:21-04:00

Maybe because they don't know why, where, when, or what's going on? St. Matthew 24: 7, we who read the whole Chapter know what is going on.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2022 12:48 AM

2022-10-25T00:48:50-04:00

The VA makes that determination based upon local conditions. Our area is still considered on the high end so masksxare mandatory.

Now all thus crap about not being able to breath is just that. Crap! Guess some of you never trained in MOPP 4.

I sat and watched a 10 year old run up and down a basketball court while wearing a mask. Dure didn't slow him down any. Frankly its just a psychological reaction to wearing the a mask.

Response by SFC Kelly Fuerhoff made Oct 25 at 2022 11:41 AM

2022-10-25T11:41:57-04:00

Because they can...pretty much that simple. Of all places to wear a mask, a medical facility is the place to wear one. We probably always should have been wearing them in hospitals, clinics, etc.

Response by A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney made Oct 26 at 2022 5:50 AM

2022-10-26T05:50:28-04:00

Yup, The VA Still Requires The Masks,
No Matter If You're Still Ugly Or Not.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2022 10:00 AM

2022-10-26T10:00:08-04:00

Yeah, they are shady with boosters. These boosters will keep coming!

Response by LCpl Sidney Green made Oct 31 at 2022 3:03 AM

2022-10-31T03:03:19-04:00

Typical government/military mentality. Once a policy is put into place, there's always a fear of blame for the person/s who orders it removed. What they should do is install automatic expiration/renewal dates at the inception. So that it expires automatically unless reevaluated and extended. That way things don't go on for years waiting for somebody to decides if its time for it to be cancelled.

Response by SSG Roger Ayscue made Nov 8 at 2022 1:58 AM

2022-11-08T01:58:03-05:00

Because Dr Faucci said that we need masks unless we get the shots, but if we get the shots we are good, but we need masks if we have the shots because we can still get it, but without the shots we can get it, so we need the shots so we can still get it but it will protect us if we get the shots and if you are in the army and don't get the shots they will kick you out, but you need a mask to outprocess and then get the shots so you can not get the COVID but you can still get it so you need a mask.....Dr Faucci said.