Measles Is Forcing Hospitals to Adapt to a New Normal
Hospitals in the United States are implementing strict new protocols to manage a significant resurgence of measles, which has reached its highest case count since 1991. Facilities are utilizing negative-pressure rooms and remote screening to prevent the highly contagious virus from spreading within healthcare settings.
Why it matters
The return of a preventable disease like measles is straining hospital resources and forcing a return to outdated infection control measures.
“I never thought I would see this come back,” he says.
His health system, like others, has had to adapt to a new normal as measles makes a comeback in the United States. As the country’s cases top 3,600, the highest yearly total since 1991, hospitals and health care providers are being forced to dust off decades-old protocols or develop new ones to deal with the highly contagious disease.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s community hospital in Lititz is in Lancaster County, the center of Pennsylvania’s current outbreak. It has evaluated around 50 patients with measles, with roughly 20 of those requiring hospitalization. Statewide, Pennsylvania has recorded 943 cases, including 176 hospitalizations and five measles-related deaths as of September 30.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in