UCLH asks staff, patients and visitors to wear face masks

University College London Hospitals (UCLH) is asking staff, patients and visitors to wear face masks to stop the spread of flu, norovirus and Covid.

“With rates of flu rising, we are asking staff, patients and visitors to wear the masks available in our Emergency Department as well as other areas where there is a high risk of infections spreading,” says the NHS Trust which has hospitals in Fitzrovia and Bloomsbury.

“Staff and visitors should not enter clinical areas if they have symptoms of flu, norovirus or Covid-19. Patients with symptoms who need emergency care should still attend but wear a mask if possible.”

UCLH is one of many hospitals now requiring face masks to be worn this winter.

Wearing an FFP2 or FFP3 respirator and local ventilation are the most effective interventions for preventing the spread of Covid-19, flu and norovirus as these are all airborne viruses.

“Respirators such as N95, FFP3 and FFP2 masks provide the strongest defence, filtering out a high proportion of airborne particles when properly fitted,” wrote science editor Rhys Blakely in The Times last week.

“Surgical masks can reduce exposure to droplets and aerosols. However, they are primarily designed for ‘source control’ — that is, preventing the wearer from spreading large droplets. Homemade cloth masks are also likely to be less effective.”

Earlier this year the British Occupational Hygiene Society published technical guidance for healthcare employers to make correct decisions on appropriate personal protective equipment to guard against airborne risks.

The UK Health Security Agency in its latest weekly bulletin says that influenza activity has increased, and Covid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) continues to circulate. Norovirus has also increased, according to the latest bulletin.

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