I really appreciate that my community opera/chorus group continues to keep #HEPA filters running and N95 masks available (and a good percentage of ppl actually wearing one) during all rehearsals, in multiple studios.
Meanwhile, I work in primary care, and I've had the unfortunate luck to need several medical appointments myself over the last couple of months. And while mask mandates have grudgingly returned to patient-facing interactions during this #Tripledemic round, the only air purifiers running in any of those environments are the ones I run myself.1 What does it take to change clinical practice to prioritize infectious disease prevention at the doctor's office?
(I know the answer: a billing code for the air we breathe.)
1. At my main job, I rehabbed a handful of old high-capacity Austin models, bought a few smaller ones with my own money, set policy to make sure they're running, and clean them periodically). At my moonlighting gig, there are old Honeywell filters in several exam rooms, but no one turns them on until I do.
#FluSeason #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAirSavesLives #MedMastodon #HealthcareStartsWithPrevention