Masks recommended due to ‘Tripledemic’ of COVID-19, flu, RSV


Aurora Golden-Appleton adjusts her face mask as she chats with Rylin Green, both of Provo, as they sit outside Joe Vera's Mexican Restaurant in downtown Provo in August 2020. Some health officials are calling for a return to masks this holiday season, with warnings that a "tripledemic" of COVID-19, RSV and the flu threaten to fill hospitals statewide with patients.

Could facemasks be making a return for the 2022 Christmastime holiday season? They might, with the Centers for Disease Control announcing this week a recommendation that people wear face masks to combat a “tripledemic” of flu, COVID-19 and RSV.

Officials said masks could help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses amid a growing spike in hospitalizations from the those three main culprits, with CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky saying the busy holiday season could make matters worse.

“We also encourage you to wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses,” said Walensky, adding that people living in areas with high levels of COVID-19 transmission should especially consider masking.

Employees at St. George Regional Hospital are checked for masks and temperatures on their way into work.

Health departments nationwide have warned that this winter could present more illnesses than usual. Cases of common respiratory infections were historically low in recent years after the COVID-19 pandemic, with many offices closed, some students learning virtually and many people wearing masks when they visited others. But this year, with schools, offices and other busy places in full swing and the usual winter viruses returning to their past seasonal patterns, hospitals have reported increased numbers of patients, especially sick children.



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