Chennai, Sep 24 (IANS): Public health officials in Tamil Nadu have urged patients and visitors to wear masks in hospitals, warning that respiratory infections can spread even though masking is not compulsory.
The appeal comes amid concern over illnesses reported in the state, including dengue, scrub typhus, Covid-19, chickenpox and measles.
Officials said respiratory infections appeared to be affecting more people than dengue, and expressed concern that many people seeking treatment in government and private hospitals were arriving without masks.
“Respiratory infections are spreading more than dengue in Tamil Nadu. Such infections can easily pass from one person to another. Yet patients and their relatives coming to hospitals are not wearing masks,” public health officials said.
They advised everyone entering a hospital to take precautions, especially in areas where patients gather. Although there is no general requirement to wear a mask, officials said people should not dismiss the possibility of infection spreading during a hospital visit. The warning concerns respiratory illnesses and should not be confused with the way all the other diseases mentioned spread.
Dengue is transmitted through infected mosquito bites, while scrub typhus is linked to bites from infected mites.
Masks do not prevent either disease through its usual route of transmission. Measles and some other viral illnesses can spread through the air, making precautions around people with symptoms relevant.
Chickenpox can also spread through respiratory secretions and contact with fluid from blisters.
Different illnesses require different preventive measures, even when patients are being treated in the same hospital.
Officials focused their appeal on the risk posed by close contact between people with respiratory symptoms and others waiting for care.
A person accompanying a patient may spend time in registration areas, corridors and outpatient departments, where it can be difficult to avoid contact with those who are ill.
Health guidance recommends that people with coughs or other respiratory symptoms wear a mask while in a healthcare facility.
Hospitals can provide masks and hand hygiene supplies, and identify patients who may need to be separated from others. Public health officials urged patients and attendants to act responsibly when visiting hospitals. Their message was that masks could potentially help reduce the risk of respiratory infections spreading among patients, visitors and healthcare workers.
