Measles Is Forcing Hospitals to Adapt to a New Normal

John Goldman had not seen a case of measles in 30 years. But since April, the infectious disease specialist with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in central Pennsylvania has had dozens of patients come down with the disease.

“I never thought I would see this come back,” he says.

His health system, like others, has had to adapt to a new normal as measles makes a comeback in the United States. As the country’s cases top 3,600, the highest yearly total since 1991, hospitals and health care providers are being forced to dust off decades-old protocols or develop new ones to deal with the highly contagious disease.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s community hospital in Lititz is in Lancaster County, the center of Pennsylvania’s current outbreak. It has evaluated around 50 patients with measles, with roughly 20 of those requiring hospitalization. Statewide, Pennsylvania has recorded943 cases,...

Copyright of this story solely belongs to www.wired.com. To see the full text click HERE