The seemingly imminent removal of the obligation to wear a mask in most public places in Quebec is not unanimous among health professionals. Maintaining the proposal for people considered vulnerable, on the other hand, seems like a consensus.
Quebec’s acting national director of public health, Dr. Luc Boileau, is expected to announce on Wednesday that wearing a mask will no longer be mandatory in most public places starting May 14.
The information was first reported on Tuesday the Diary of Quebec at the Diary of Montreal was confirmed by Radio-Canada.
Exceptions
The mask will remain mandatory in health establishments and public transport. People who have been isolated for 10 days because of COVID-19 should also continue to wear it.
Wearing the mask should remain recommended in situations considered more dangerous, such as when you find yourself in the presence of vulnerable people.
Dr. Donald Vinh, infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at McGill University Health Center (MUHC), believes public health should be looked at twice before announcing the end of a health measure in advance.
Despite some stabilization in the number of people hospitalized to treat COVID-19 in Quebec, there is no guarantee that the situation will continue to improve by May 14, Dr Vinh warned.
In medicine as in other sciences, making predictions can be dangerous, he reminds us.
Caution
You have to be careful [et éviter de] make promises you can’t keep […] Things can change every week or every dayconfides the scientist in an interview with Radio-Canada.
” We are not here “business“to make predictions and especially not promises based on predictions. “
He believes people at risk, either because of their age, immune status or physical condition should continue to wear masks in public, preferably, and avoid enclosed spaces and indoor activity areas.
Dr. also recommends. Vinh that these people will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to put the possibilities in their favor.
Dr. Elyse Berger Pelletier, emergency physician at the Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis, is trusting the competent authorities to determine if the time has come to end the obligation to wear a mask in most areas. public.
An air of hope
The doctor believes that there is public health always played it safe about relaxation health measures.
If these authorities see that the time is right, I think it will also give a breath of hope to the population, then that’s not a bad thing.reasoning by Dr. Berger Pelletier.
He welcomes the expected maintenance of compulsory mask wearing in hospitals. In addition to helping slow the spread of COVID-19, masks and barrier measures generally help protect staff and patients from other viruses such as the flu and gastroenteritis.
There for a long time
The emergency physician expects health professionals to continue to wear the mask for a long time, even if it is no longer mandatory.
” We have so many viruses these days in the emergency room that we continue to carry it […] We want to protect ourselves. “
The president and director general of Quebec Regrouping of residences for seniors (RQRA), Marc Fortin, hopes that the reductions surrounding mask wearing will be adapted according to the different types of establishments where seniors live.
If, in his view, the proposal should be kept in common areas of CHSLDintermediate resources and units (sections or floors) of RPA reserved for people in need of care, autonomous seniors should be excluded.
Avoid ageism
We would rather treat them like the rest of the population, not with ageism. These people are free, they are independentargument of Mr. Fortin.
the RQRA it is estimated that approximately 150,000 people live RPA in Quebec, representing 17% of seniors.
Between 60 and 65% of the residents of RPA is completely independent.
There is information from Sebastian Bovet and Pierre-Alexandre Bolduc
Source: Radio-Canada