The New York Times - November 14, 1985
Robert Pear

Instead, it urged adherence to sanitary precautions already in place to deal with a wide variety of diseases.

The agency recommended against routine screening of workers to check for exposure to the virus identified as the cause of AIDS, acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

The Government offered its advice as guidelines for preventing transmission of the AIDS virus in workplaces.

Some employers have begun screening for exposure to the virus, and some members of Congress have proposed legislation to restrict employment of people with AIDS in certain industries.

'Not Spread by Casual Contact'

But Dr. James O. Mason, Acting Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, said today: "AIDS is a bloodborne, sexually transmitted disease that is not spread by casual contact." Therefore, he said, "the Public Health Service does not recommend routine AIDS antibody screening" for the millions of workers covered by the guidelines.

The recommendations apply to nurses, physicians, dental workers, laboratory and blood bank technicians, paramedics, firefighters, law-enforcement officers, medical examiners, cooks, waiters, butchers, hairdressers, barbers and people who work at offices, schools, factories and construction sites "where there is no known risk of AIDS virus transmission."

The Public Health Service is preparing more detailed guidelines for surgeons and dentists and people who work in prisons.

The Government has recorded 14,739 cases of AIDS and 7,545 deaths from the disease, which leads to a breakdown of the body's ability to fight off infection. Almost one-third of the reported cases were in New York City.

Waxman Praises Outline

Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California, praised the guidelines as "clear, thoughtful and reasoned." Mr. Waxman is chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.

Eunice Cole, president of the American Nurses Association, said the guidelines reflected the "best thinking of nurses and other health-care professionals."

But Representative William E. Dannemeyer, a California Republican, was "not pleased," according to his legislative counsel, Missy Hancock. Mr. Dannemeyer has offered a bill that would prohibit doctors, dentists and nurses with AIDS from working directly with patients.

He Does Not See a Conflict

In response to a question, Dr. Mason said he saw no conflict between the guidelines and the policies of the Defense Department. On Oct. 1, the department began AIDS screening for new military recruits. It has announced plans to screen all 2.1 million active duty military personnel.

Dr. Mason said the armed forces had special needs. The Defense Department says, for example, that each member of the services must be a "walking blood bank," a potential source of blood transfusions for comrades on the battlefield.

Dr. Mason dismissed as "totally unfounded" the concern that the AIDS virus might be transmitted in food handled by infected workers. "Food service workers known to be infected with AIDS should not be restricted from work unless they have another infection or illness for which such restriction would be warranted," the guidelines said.

Established Standards Noted

However, Dr. Mason emphasized that food service workers should follow established standards of good personal hygiene and food sanitation. Thus, he said they should not prepare or serve food if they have eczema or lesions that might leak body fluids.

At offices, schools, factories and most other workplaces, the guidelines say, there is "no known risk" that infected employees will transmit AIDS. Employees with AIDS "should not be restricted from using telephones, office equipment, toilets, showers, eating facilities and water fountains," the guidelines say.

Dr. Mason, who is also director of the Federal Centers for Disease Control, said there was no evidence of transmission of the AIDS virus by barbers, hairdressers or other "personal service workers." But, he said, "instruments used to pierce the skin, such as tattooing and acupuncture needles and ear-piercing devices, should be used once and disposed of, or should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected."

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