As Ontarians, we are thankful that our province is in the process of moving towards Stage Three of re-opening. As we gain more freedom to relax on a patio and drink a cold beer, we're also exposed to a significantly higher risk of infection. Many of you might wonder if wearing a mask is really “necessary.” Both the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) now recommend masks for the general public.
But wait a minute, didn't the same organizations suggest the opposite during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic?
If you're confused, we're here to answer some questions you might have about wearing a mask in this blog.
To inform you, beginning July 7, 2020, wearing a mask or face covering is mandatory in indoor public spaces under City of Toronto By-Law 541-2020. Here is an excerpt of the bylaw.
The City of Toronto enacts By-Law 541 Section 2(a), which highlights who is exempt from wearing a mask in enclosed public spaces:
(1) children under two years of age;
(2) persons with an underlying medical condition which inhibits their ability to wear a Mask or Face Covering;
(3) persons who are unable to place or remove a Mask or Face Covering without assistance;
(4) employees and agents of the person responsible for the Establishment within an area designated for them and not for public access, or within or behind a physical barrier; and
(5) persons who are reasonably accommodated by not wearing a Mask or Face Covering in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Until recently, there have statistically been 15,581,009 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, including 635,173 deaths. The number is still climbing. (Click on the hyperlink to access live data of confirmed cases and deaths worldwide.)
According to Stanford scientists, as many as 40% of people infected may be asymptomatic.
Imagine you are on the TTC without a mask and you purposefully avoid the people who have obvious symptoms of COVID-19 or simply people who are wearing a mask because you assume the mask indicates an infection. Later on, you walk by a person who is not coughing nor wearing a mask thus you deem them “healthy” and low-risk of transmission. Just under half of the infected population is asymptomatic. So that person who isn't coughing or wearing a mask could potentially put you in grave danger without you knowing.
It is now proven by researchers that the virus is transmitted through respiratory droplets in ways such as coughing, sneezing and speaking within one-meter parameter.
There is a projection developed by researchers at Arizona State University showing that 24% - 65% of projected deaths could be prevented in one state in April and May if people wore face masks.
Wearing a mask is most beneficial for the people around you as it prevents transmission of the virus. According to Dr Larry Chu from Stanford University, the effectiveness of wearing masks derives from the mask’s ability to trap larger respiratory droplets, which we expel into the air, preventing them from evaporating into finer particles that may linger in the air. However, as mentioned before, there’s a lot of asymptomatic infection, by not wearing a mask or a face covering, you are putting the public in danger.
There has been a lot of controversies about the type of masks people should wear. The most commonly seen ones are the N95 respirators, surgical masks and cloth masks. Disposable surgical and cloth masks are non-valved. N95 respirators masks can be valved and non-valved.
In valved masks, the one-way valve closes when you breathe in but opens when you breathe out (thus releasing unfiltered air and droplets). That said valved masks such as the N95 valved mask do not protect those around you, they are generally for construction workers. Anyone wearing a valved mask would need to wear a surgical mask, cloth mask or N95 non-valved mask over it.
Valveless N95s are more suitable in medical situations such as intubations. This type of mask is most beneficial to health care workers who are consistently attending to patients who may have COVID-19. To be honest, any mask that covers the nose, mouth, and chin will be beneficial to the general public. At the end of the day, choose whatever mask you feel comfortable consistently wearing.
We believe that making masks more accessible to everyone will encourage the public to wear them. Providing free masks in populated areas, such as shopping malls, transportation services and schools, for a limited time until the situation is contained.
For ages, we have been social animals thus human interaction is irreplaceable. A mask deprives humans of that social aspect thus making it hard for people to accept wearing a mask. It also reminds them of the fact that the pandemic is unfortunately not over. During this time we should remind ourselves that the more we protect ourselves and others, the closer we are to bringing an end to this. If today you don’t wear a mask and infect someone else, then one day that person doesn't wear a mask and you come into contact with them. They infect you. This vicious cycle will never end if we don’t wear our masks.
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