After discussions with other healthcare experts, a review of guidelines from local and national authorities, and collaborative discussions with our clinical staff members, GROW plans to adjust our masking policy effective April 1st.
We thank our communiity and staff for continuing to wear masks, day after day for three years, to keep each other safe. GROW does still recommend the use of masks to reduce transmission of COVID-19 and other airborne viruses, but will defer to parents and caregivers to regulate mask practices that are appropriate for their families. Masks for both children and adults will continute to be available in our waiting room. Any patients coming in for sick visits with respiratory symptoms are still required to wear masks, as well as parents who are experiencing respiratory symptoms. Our staff will continue to mask while in contact with such patients, as well as while caring for (well OR sick) infants 2 months and younger. Individuals who are Covid positive and still within their isolation period should not come to the clinic.
We believe that we’re through the worst of fall and winter respiratory season, where we experienced a large number of both influenza and RSV infections. During the past few years, masking helped us reduce the transmission of these infections, along with reducing the transmission of COVID-19. It is likely, and reasonable, that some facilities and/or individuals will choose to continue to mask indefinitely, making it their new standard procedure.
At the same time, we continue seeing higher levels of immunity to COVID-19 in our community, either from vaccination or prior infection. As a result, for most people, COVID-19 is now a much milder illness, and severe COVID-19 infection or hospitalization is much less common. Vaccines work! It is our goal to continue to offer both primary and booster series COVID-19 vaccines in our clinic. We recognize that infants under 6 months of age are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, and continue to be mindful of their safety, every day.
Rest assured that we continue to take extensive measures in the clinic to clean and disinfect, mitigating infection transmission risk. Every room will continue to be cleaned and sanitized between every patient, regardless of visit type. In truth, we’ve always taken many of these measures, and will continue to go above and beyond in these areas.
We require that our team members stay home when they are sick, and they will still wear masks in the clinic if experiencing ANY respiratory symptoms. Thank you for your continued support and trust. We welcome any questions, concerns or feedback and appreciate the opportunity to care for your family. Looking forward to seeing and sharing many smiles!
Sincerely,
The Physicians and Staff at GROW Pediatrics