The Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) Vice President Dr Chris Moy has urged a review on the grades of surgical masks issued to healthcare workers after new figures showed over 3,300 healthcare and aged care workers had contracted the virus during the pandemic.
Speaking on Sky News, Dr Moy argued staff working with people infected with COVID should have a higher-level of mask protection.
He said the Government should look to provide P2 grade masks over the more common surgical masks and ensure all masks were fitted properly on workers.
The current Department of Health advice for aged care staff working with someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 is to wear a surgical mark, plus a long-sleeved gown or apron, face shield, goggles or safety glasses and disposable non-sterile gloves.
P2/N95 respirator are only advised to be used when performing procedures that “generate aerosols” on patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
But Dr Moy says the AMA no longer considers the advice that normal rectangular surgical masks should be used for the routine care of people with COVID to be applicable.
“The AMA’s view was that’s based on droplet spread within 1.5 metres but there’s increasing evidence where there’s airborne spread,” he said.
Figures from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) show 3,286 healthcare workers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 – 2,281 of those cases being acquired in the workplace with 1,407 of those acquired in aged care homes.
Aged care or disability workers had the highest number of cases with 1,398 infections, followed by nurses at 1,256 and doctors at 199.
As we covered yesterday, the Federal Government has now announced new measures to cut the numbers of healthcare and aged care workers being infected with COVID.
