{
  "id": 11185589,
  "title": "Measles Is Forcing Hospitals to Adapt to a New Normal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/measles-is-forcing-hospitals-to-adapt-to-a-new-normal",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-01T12:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Wired",
    "slug": "wired",
    "url": "https://www.wired.com/story/measles-is-forcing-hospitals-to-adapt-to-a-new-normal/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Measles cases have surged in the United States, prompting hospitals and health care providers to revise their protocols. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Lititz community hospital has screened around 50 patients with measles, with about 20 needing hospitalization. Pennsylvania has seen 943 cases, including 176 hospitalizations and five deaths as of September 30.\n\nTo contain the spread, the hospital has bolstered measles screening by inquiring about symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, red eyes, and vaccination status. Patients exhibiting symptoms are isolated in negative-pressure rooms to prevent airborne pathogens from circulating. Those without serious symptoms are advised to stay home.\n\nJennifer Janco, chair of pediatrics at St. Luke’s University Health Network, notes that declining vaccination rates have made measles cases inevitable. The network has fortified its stock of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and immune globulin, which can curb symptoms. Rapid testing is crucial, as most hospitals lack in-house testing capabilities, sending samples to external labs with a turnaround time of one to three days.\n\nIn Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Prisma Health in Greenville anticipated the possibility of measles cases following last fall’s outbreak. They set up contingencies like screening patients over the phone and in person, as well as retrofitting rooms with portable air scrubbers and high-efficiency particulate air filters. When negative-pressure rooms were insufficient, staff relocated measles patients to regular rooms, using measures to ensure safe airflow. High-risk groups, including newborns, immunocompromised individuals, and pregnant people, are particularly vulnerable to measles complications. Health systems have implemented strategies to protect these populations, such as separate waiting areas and telephone screenings.",
  "summary": "The US resurgence of measles is forcing hospitals and health systems to adopt new protocols and procedures to deal with a disease they thought was in the past.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Wired Science",
        "title": "Measles Is Forcing Hospitals to Adapt to a New Normal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/measles-is-forcing-hospitals-to-adapt-to-a-new-normal-11187764",
        "published": "2026-10-01T12:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}