Should we continue to wear the mask if it is no longer mandatory?

Three experts consulted said they will continue to wear the mask in closed, poorly ventilated areas and where there are many people. They recommend that the public do the same.

Although public pressure appears to have prompted authorities to stop this requirement, wearing a mask continues to be one of the best ways to prevent transmission of the virus, says Montreal cardiologist and epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos.

He especially recommends that people 60 and older, immunocompromised people and pregnant women continue to wear the mask during gatherings or in crowded places. Those who have not been vaccinated should also wear a mask, as they are more at risk of having complications from the disease.

Then, for the general population, who are not too at risk, if people remove it, they have a chance to get sick and reach the winning number of “long COVID”added Roxane Borgès Da Silva, professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Montreal.

Note that studies estimate that between 10 and 20% of people infected with COVID-19 develop long-term symptoms.

Moreover, there is a segment of the population that has no choice but to continue living with high risk. Wearing the mask specifically protects the elderly and immunocompromised people from the virus, while allowing them to regain some normalcy.

We see everywhere in other countries and provinces, the mask has fallen off. This is a request based on individual interest, not collective interestsaid Ms. Borgès Da Silva.

Continuing to wear the mask is the least evil and an easy step to use and apply, Dr. added. Catherine Hankins, professor of public and population health at McGill University and co-chair of the Task Force on immunity at COVID-19.

In addition, Mrs. Borgès Da Silva would like to point out that the masks house is clearly not enough to deal with the Omicron variant, which is highly contagious.

A study of CDCCenters for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA (New window) It has been shown that, in indoor public areas, medical masks reduce the risk of infection by 66%, while N95 and KN95 masks reduce it by 83%. Wearing a cloth mask seems to reduce the chance of infection by only 56%.

How to determine your individual risk?

Another reason that drives these experts to continue wearing the mask is the fact that it is currently difficult to know the individual risk of infecting a person.

Dr. said. Extremely if the government wants to give people a choice whether or not to wear the mask, it should also better inform them of the epidemiological situation, which has not happened yet. Without data, it is not clear how much COVID-19 is in the community. People have to guess.

If the number of infections seems to be slowing, Dr. reminded. The virus is far from gone. He fears that by changing the message, too many people will interpret the end of wearing the mask as proof that the pandemic is over.

Many Quebecers may not realize that the pandemic continues to have a huge impact on the health care system, Drs. Labos.

” It’s easy to get the impression that everything is done, that everything seems normal. But it is also easy to underestimate how difficult the situation is. “

Ms. remembered. Borgès Da Silva that the province is still experiencing high levels of infections and hospitalizations. According to the Center interuniversitaire de recherche en analyze des organizations (CIRANO), there are still tens of thousands of cases per day in Quebec. On May 4, there were still nearly 2,200 people hospitalized, equivalent to a level twice as high as that occurred in the first waves.

Omicron causes many asymptomatic infections. The probability of transmitting the virus is very high [sans même le savoir]. We don’t know if the people around us are vaccinated, if they are infectedadded Catherine Hankins.

For all these reasons, Ms. would prefer. Hankins and Ms. Borgès Da Silva that the government keep the obligation to wear a mask longer, the time this sixth wave began to descend.

We do not see a steep downward slope in the range of cases. In this context, if we remove the mask, the circulation of the virus will increase. At very high levels, it can create challengessaid Ms. Borgès Da Silva.

A generally accepted proposition

These experts are likely not the only Quebecers who will continue to wear a mask, according to the latest survey conducted by Quebec’s National Institute of Public Health. (New window) (INSPQ).

About 60% of Quebecers said in mid-April that they would wear the mask even if the measure was no longer mandatory. Only half of young people aged 25 to 44 say they intend to wear a mask when it is no longer mandatory, while 85% of people aged 60 and over say they will continue to wear a mask.

Dr. will not be surprised. It’s hard to see some Quebecers wearing masks in public places. People got used to it and they came to their senses [aux bienfaits des masques].

Moreover, more than 80% of Quebecers surveyed believe that wearing a mask is very or relatively effective.

There are some students who have not yet removed their masks in class, even though they are no longer obligatedemphasizes Roxane Borgès Da Silva. It’s a change of skill; I use standards of respiratory hygiene to protect myself and others. And, not just for COVID-19.

Dr. said. Absolutely all of his colleagues will continue to wear a mask and ask their patients to wear a mask. If most doctors continue to do this, it’s probably a sign that it’s a good idea, he says.

Although a large proportion of Quebecers say they will still wear a mask, only one-third of Quebecers are considered at very high risk of being infected with COVID-19 and more than half do not believe the disease will be dangerous for their health. . On the other hand, nearly 60% of respondents say they are worried about infecting someone they know.

A paradigm shift for the future

Dr. thinks. It’s extremely hard to ask to wear masks again if there are new waves. However, he said, wearing a mask remains one of the most effective and less expensive ways of avoiding lockdowns and closures.

Society will increasingly become aware of the usefulness and effectiveness of a mask in preventing the transmission of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, in the same way as it relates to wearing a seat belt in a vehicle. However, it will probably be years before the majority of the population uses this sanitary measure during the new waves, Dr Labos estimates.

In 20 years, we will be shocked [d’apprendre] that people were allowed to visit a patient in the hospital without wearing a maskhe said. We will do as in Japan, where wearing a mask is common during the flu season.