Focus: Infection Control

Hospital procedural change blamed for 6 nurses testing positive

Syracuse hospital told nurses it was no longer necessary to wear N95 masks and that surgical masks are enough


Nurses at St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y.,  said hospital officials told them it was no longer necessary to wear N95 masks and that surgical masks are enough, according to an article on the CNY Central website.

They further blame a change in the hospital's airflow system at the end of April and believe it contributed to six of them getting sick.

The hospital has been treating COVID-19 patients since March and no nurses got sick. But, the nurses say, after the procedure change six of their colleagues have contracted COVID-19.

Plus, at one point, the hospital took down the negative pressure unit, a nurse said. It has since restarted the negative pressure airflow throughout the COVID-19 unit.

Read the article.



May 22, 2020


Topic Area: Infection Control


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