ANVISA updates recommendations for the use of masks in hospitals.

The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) has changed its recommendations for the use of masks in healthcare settings, such as hospitals and emergency rooms, making their use less strict in specific locations and situations. 

The change in technical recommendations for use, which had been in effect since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, occurred after discussions and evaluations of the reduction in cases and deaths from the disease, as well as the advancement of vaccines in the country.

Updated recommendations

Some of the situations in which the use of face masks is still recommended by ANVISA in hospitals include:

• Patients with respiratory symptoms or positive for Covid-19 and their companions.
• Patients who have had close contact with a confirmed case during the last 10 days (period of disease transmission).
• Professionals who perform patient screening.
• Healthcare professionals, visitors and companions present in patient admission areas, such as wards, rooms, intensive care units, emergency and urgent care units, corridors in admission areas, etc.
• Situations in which the use of a face mask is indicated as personal protective equipment (PPE) for health professionals, in any area of the health service.

Consideration of close cases

According to Anvisa's list of recommendations, the following are considered close cases:

• People who have been less than one meter away from someone with COVID-19 for a minimum period of 15 minutes without wearing a mask; 
• Individuals who had direct physical contact with someone who tested positive for the disease and touched their eyes, mouth or nose without sanitizing their hands; 
• Healthcare professionals who treated patients with the disease without using PPE or with damaged protective equipment; 
• People who live or have been in the same environment as a confirmed case.

ANVISA recommends that visitors and companions of hospitalized patients wear face protection in all healthcare facilities. 

It is important to emphasize that the mask must not be removed at any time during the patient's stay in the hospital environment, including in the room or ward where the patient is. 

The main purpose of this measure is to prevent and control contamination and transmission of Covid-19 in hospitals, in order to ensure the protection of patients, companions, visitors and healthcare professionals against the virus.

ANVISA informs that the recommendations will be constantly reassessed, taking into account the scenario of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is essential that preventive measures are updated as the disease evolves, thus ensuring the effectiveness of actions to combat the virus.

We at Tenho Saúde would like to emphasize that even with the easing of restrictions, the use of a mask is still essential in any place where there may be suspicion of contamination and that all preventive measures must be constantly taken.

Source: ANVISA and Agência Brasil.