As Berkshire County moves into respiratory illness season, its main healthcare provider has implemented a new set of protocols starting today. Berkshire Health Systems’ Virus Alert Level system has three designations for protective measures at its facilities: green, yellow, and red to indicate low, moderate, and high levels of respiratory virus transmission, respectively. Each tier comes with its own demands and restrictions, from masking and testing staff, visitors, and patients if symptomatic at the green tier to universal masking and testing at the red tier. Currently, the system sits in the green tier. BHS spokesperson Michael Leary spoke with WAMC.
LEARY: Well, we all know that there is a rise in respiratory illness, especially during the winter season, primarily with COVID-19, which, after five years, is still with us and still has surges periodically, particularly in the winter and often after holiday season gatherings, but also influenza and the RSV virus. We have seen anecdotally across the state some increases in those viruses. In Berkshire County at this point, we're still at a relatively low level for all of them. So, we're currently on what's called the green status. We have implemented a three-tiered color-coded system- Green, yellow and red, with green being the lowest activity for respiratory viruses, and that would allow for voluntary masking, and also, of course, we request that those who are symptomatic mask any time when they're in a BHS facility. And then the yellow and red, of course, would mandate more stiff requirements for staff and patients for masking depending on the number of illnesses that we are seeing, and also what the state's reports look like from the [Department of Public Health] and of course, the water system, the sewage treatment system in Berkshire County and across the state can also give you indications as to whether or not there is a surge in respiratory illness.
WAMC: Now, what would it take for that level to rise to yellow in Berkshire County?
Yellow would mean that we were seeing moderate activity, and that would be noticed by the number of patients that we're seeing in the hospital who have RSV, flu, or COVID, or other respiratory illnesses. We're not at that point yet. We call yellow moderate, that would require masking by all of our staff who are in direct contact with patients in clinical care locations and masks would be available and welcome for anyone who would want them. For visitors, that would mean masking if they were symptomatic. As we've said, we would always hope that you would mask if you're symptomatic with any illness. Care partners and visitors over 18 would be welcome, but we would not, at that time, allow visitors under 18, and providers will test patients if they are symptomatic.
And lastly, that red tier- What would it take for BHS to implement its most severe protocols around respiratory illness?
If we're seeing a significant rise in COVID, flu, and RSV – which is always possible in the winter season given that the height for influenza alone is generally December through March, it's the time of year where we see the highest number of cases – we would invoke the red system, which would require universal masking for all of our staff, patients, and visitors. Visitors coming to the hospital, we would allow care partners only, no regular visitors during that time. We would make exceptions, of course, for end-of-life care, and all patients who are admitted to the hospital would be tested for those viruses.
At this time, what kind of guidance is BHS offering to the broader community amidst all of these illnesses going about?
Well, I think it's what we've said over and over and over again, especially since 2020 when we were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic- We would ask people to make sure that they use good hand hygiene. That's the most important thing. Wash your hands regularly. If you are around somebody who is ill, wash your hands and make sure that you're trying not to touch surfaces that they have touched or things that they have touched. And also, social distancing, that six-foot social distancing has been shown to work. And of course, we do tell people that they should mask if they feel that they are coming down with some type of a respiratory illness.
