Hospitals ramp up safety protocols as measles cases rise
Dr. John Goldman, an infectious disease specialist, discusses the resurgence of measles, hospital safety measures, and the importance of vaccination as cases rise.
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. —
Hospitals are ramping up safety protocols and urging vaccinations as measles cases continue to rise, according to Dr. John Goldman, an infectious disease specialist at UPMC.
Infectious disease expert surprised by measles’ return
“I would have never thought that this was coming back,” Goldman said. Before the recent outbreak, he had only encountered two cases of measles in his career, attributing one to “our lack of knowledge at the time” and the other to “just somebody with bad luck.”
Goldman emphasized the highly contagious nature of measles, explaining, “You can get it just by being in the same room as someone with measles two hours after they’ve left.”
Hospitals screen and isolate symptomatic patients
Hospitals are now screening patients for symptoms such as fever, cough, and rash. “We are screening people if they have symptoms consistent with measles. If they’re not vaccinated, we very quickly will put them in measles precautions,” Goldman said.
Patients showing symptoms are immediately isolated to prevent further exposure. “We very quickly get a mask on, get you in what’s called a negative pressure room, a room where the air is being sucked out so it doesn’t go out into the hallway, for example,” he said.
Health department recommends additional vaccine
Goldman noted that 100% of the people diagnosed with measles have been unvaccinated. In response, the Department of Health is recommending an additional measles vaccine for children starting at six months, in addition to the standard vaccine at 12 months.
Contact tracing helps limit measles spread
Hospitals are also conducting contact tracing to limit the spread of the disease. “If someone is unvaccinated and exposed, if we can get them a vaccine within 72 hours, it becomes much less likely that they’ll get measles. So, we generally call people, try to find out how old they are, see if they likely had measles as a child, and try to find out if they’re vaccinated,” Goldman said.
Vaccination key to achieving herd immunity
Goldman strongly recommends vaccination, highlighting its importance in preventing the spread of measles. “One person with measles will infect approximately 16 others, whereas a person with the flu will only infect three or four,” he said.
While Goldman said cases will eventually decline, he explained, “We are going to achieve herd immunity to measles one way or the other. We’re either going to achieve it because enough people go out and get vaccinated, or we’re going to achieve it because the virus will go through the population.”
Goldman assured that hospitals have protocols in place to protect patients and families and urged people not to let fear prevent them from seeking medical care.
This content is imported from infogram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.