[leguminous]

The doctors in my fiancée's department (ophthalmology and optometry at a major state university) have been officially prohibited from wearing masks, even if they provided a mask themselves. They are right in front of all of their patients' faces.

[DanBC]

I'm not defending that, but here's recommendations for preserving PPE: http://www.ihi.org/communities/blogs/covid-pandemic-conservi...

> Other potential considerations being explored include:

> Limiting use of N95 masks to only procedures where respiratory secretions can be aerosolized, including intubation for PUI or COVID+ individuals. Use loop surgical masks for all other encounters. Read the latest guidelines on keeping the coronavirus from infecting health care workers.

> Limiting use of loop masks to only encounters with patients on droplet precautions such as PUI or COVID+ or other flu like illness investigations.

It sounds like their department has implemented this second recommendation. I feel like that's sub-optimal.

[pragmatic]

Why?

Wondering what the reasoning is for this?

Family member works in a similar dept at large hospital and they have stopped seeing patients.

[ls612]

Jealousy. Can’t have some people seen having masks when others can’t get them.