Ghent University Hospital (UZ Gent) is obliging vulnerable patients to wear face masks and take the shortest route when moving around at the hospital. This is a preventative measure to stave off fungal infections resulting from major construction work that is taking place at the hospital. The construction work generates a lot of dust that may contain fungal spores. The fungal spores pose a serious risk to patients with weakened immune systems, especially those undergoing intensive treatment such as chemotherapy.
UZ Gent warns vulnerable patients to “Wear a face mask and take the shortest route” due to fungal infection caused by construction work
Published:
The dust poses no threat to healthy people. However, for a small group of vulnerable patients it could have serious consequences.
Professor of clinical biology Dr. Isabel Leroux-Roels is specialised infection prevention. She told VRT News that mould spores can cause severe pneumonia in a very select group of vulnerable patients. “Visitors or patients with normal immune systems are not at increased risk".
Dr. Leroux-Roels stress that this above all concerns patients that are being given intensive chemotherapy, are receiving high doses of cortisone or have a low number of white blood cells.
“Among a small group of very vulnerable people with suppressed immune systems, the dust can trigger a fungal infection. Those with a cold or a mild respiratory infection are not at increased risk”.
Advice for patients with weakened immune systems
The patients are advised to wear a high-filtration mask that completely covers their mouth and nose and fits snugly for the duration of their visit to the hospital. "The mask protects against mold spores in the dust released during the construction work", Dr Leroux-Roels says.
"In addition to this, it's important that they take the shortest route to where their treatment or consultation is taking place and to spend as little time outside the hospital buildings as possible. This will ensure that the risk of fungal infections remains as low as possible."
Dr Leroux-Roels advises patients that aren’t sure whether they are in a vulnerable group to wear a face mask or to ask their doctor’s advice.
Preventative measures taken by the hospital
Ghent University Hospital is also taking measures to limit the spread of dust on campus. For example, the buildings are regularly humidified to reduce the formation of dust and the air quality on the hospital campus is continuously monitored. "We are doing everything we can to ensure that the windows remain properly closed and that the spread of dust is kept as low as possible”.
"The sole aim is to minimalise the risk to vulnerable patients. Vulnerable patients should also be aware the same precautionary measures are also useful outside the hospital, for example, they should avoide compost heaps and areas where there are high levels of mold”, Dr Leroux-Roels said.