Employee collapse raises concerns over indoor mask policy

During the dinner rush at the Student Life Pavilion, a fainting chef causes alarm  

Colin Mullaney / Assistant News Editor / The USD Vista

Outside the Student Life Pavilion (SLP), red lights flashed atop the vehicle of the newly arrived paramedics. Students showing up to dinner for the evening approached the building with caution, unsure as of yet whether to be concerned, or go about their own business as usual. Those seated inside were witness to an even more troubling scene: an apparent employee health incident was unfolding at one of the food preparation stations within. After several minutes, the employee was taken out on a stretcher with an IV fluid bag, prompting relief that he had received proper care, but also sparking worry about his condition and the factors that contributed to his collapse.

USD sophomore Zoey Delgado described what she witnessed from inside the main SLP dining area.

“First we noticed the paramedics, because we had already gotten our food and weren’t near the cooking stations. But then somebody who joined our table said a chef had passed out inside, behind one of the counters, and was barely conscious. We saw him get taken out a little after that,” Delgado stated.  

It is no secret that COVID-19 necessitates special accommodations on the part of students and staff, namely the continued use of masks indoors. And while inability to comply with routine mask wearing has become something of a national meme in the last year (immortalized with the entitled “Karen” archetype), it is worth considering, at this point in time, whether preventative measures could be hampering ability to thrive at USD, rather than ensuring it. 

Although unconfirmed by USD dining services, students have seen for themselves the impact of wearing masks on employees and on food preparation at the SLP. Oftentimes, chefs and other employees are seen working up a sweat due to the high-intensity, fast-paced work environment. Between flipping heavy pans, rushing back and forth behind their stations, repetitive motions, and lifting heavy items, the job has no shortage of strenuous physical demands. Because of their direct proximity to food and high volumes of students, many SLP employees additionally opt to wear KN-95 masks; although seemingly prudent, such masks are notorious for restricting the ability to breathe deeply, compared to the more standard, blue disposable masks.

Students can also relate to the heat and discomfort generated from wearing a face mask, even with more minor forms of physical exertion. A walk across campus in the sun (during last week’s heat advisory), followed by the application of a face mask for class, has the potential to tip the scales in favor of a truly uncomfortable and inconvenient class experience. Furthermore, masks can inhibit proper hydration by those who do not want to violate classroom norms or University policy recommendations in order to take a drink, whether in class or on the job.

It is possible, therefore, that mask wearing inside could be having a notable effect on health and thriving at USD, undermining the very reason why they were allegedly instituted in the first place. Masks, in conjunction with other pandemic-related factors (like short-staffed dining locations), could be placing a strain on an already strained system, on already strained bodies, and may warrant further reconsideration. 

Director of Marketing and Licensing, Loryn Johnson, explained how all USD services comply with government COVID guidelines.

 “Auxiliary Services follow all local and federal guidelines and protocol as far as safety, breaks, and trainings go,” Johnson stated. “We also adhere to the campus protocol in regard to COVID, masks, and for any campus emergency medical and otherwise,” Johnson said. 

USD dining services was unavailable to comment on the specific health incident, or its potential underlying causes.

Given that masks are permitted to be removed for eating, the possibility for spreading COVID at the SLP still remains despite efforts to the contrary, potentially undermining their use. While masks have been an integral part of the efforts to combat COVID-19, adverse consequences of their use could cause some students to question the continued use of masks indoors. With 93% of students and 97% of employees fully vaccinated as of Sept. 22  and California’s lower than average transmission rates compared to the rest of the country, scrutiny for routine mask usage will likely continue to increase as COVID decreases in prevalence.