It’s time to reinvent the requirements for indoor masking, say some health professionals amid concerns about a possible increase in COVID-19 cases this summer. In fact, according to Alberta Emergency Doctor Chuck Worster, public health authorities across the country left the order prematurely. “There was no indication that it was safe to do so,” he said. Wurster, showing that the influx of COVID-19 patients he has seen in the emergency department has never stopped. “Masks should always be the first thing we use and the last thing we get rid of.” In the last month, countries such as the US, Israel, Portugal, France and Italy have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases. And with the emergence of even more contagious Omicron variants, particularly BA.4 and BA.5 – which appear to be able to circumvent immune protection – there are concerns that Canada will be hit by another wave in the coming months. Masks are currently required in Canada for air and train passengers, but in most cases are no longer mandatory. Re-checking them indoors is an immediate way to prevent another possible outbreak, according to some doctors. “I do not understand why we would be immune to trends in the United States and Europe,” said Kashif Pirzada, a Toronto-based emergency physician. Dr. Pirzada said he understands that people are tired of public health orders, but it would not be necessary to wear masks everywhere or forever. He believes that they should be required in places such as grocery stores, on public transport, medical clinics and wherever people who are vulnerable have no choice but to go. anywhere else could have a strong recommendation for masks. Tehseen Ladha, an Edmonton-based pediatrician with a master’s degree in public health, also spoke about the continuing need for mask commands, as the number of COVID-19 cases has not dropped significantly. “In recent months, instead of going from peak to valley with the waves, we just went wave by wave and did not go very low with the community transmission,” said Dr. Ladha. As of June 18, there were 15,047 new weekly COVID-19 cases in Canada. Although this is lower than the 288,771 cases per week at the peak of the Omicron wave in January, the new counts are about the same as in November. There is a perception that high incidence is no longer a big deal, as it will not lead to deaths and serious illness, Dr Ladha said. But, he noted, the two results remain. As of June 20, 3,350 people were being treated daily across the country, about the same as at the end of December. On June 18, there were 137 deaths per week, close to the level recorded on January 1. Dr. Ladha spoke about the pressure on the healthcare system, such as the long waiting times for ambulances and emergencies. “Giving the system extra stress right now is just not sustainable,” he said. Masks can alleviate some of this stress, not only by protecting people from COVID-19, but also from many other illnesses that are prompting them to seek medical help right now, Dr. Wurster said. Cases of flu and other respiratory illnesses have risen since the removal of the mask orders: “It’s like releasing hordes,” he said. Creating healthcare skills will require time and complex solutions. But using a mask is not a huge inconvenience and is a relatively simple and straightforward way to protect themselves and each other, Dr. Wurster said. Public health authorities say the use of a mask is a personal choice, but have continued to recommend masks in public interiors. Even so, Michelle Driedger, a professor of community health sciences at the University of Manitoba, has met fewer and fewer people who wear them. Some are just tired of the pandemic, he said, but even the reluctant to wear masks followed the rules when they were in force. A rule “is something very different from a strong recommendation,” he said. Dr Driedger said it can be difficult for people to follow the recommendations for using a mask, while others around them do not. When leaders, such as teachers or school principals, stop wearing masks, it sends the message to others that they are not needed. And from the recent focus groups organized by Red River Métis residents in Manitoba, people are no longer hearing about the pandemic, he said. The lifting of COVID-19 measures and the lack of public health messages have not given people the impression that they need to worry about infection: “Many of them say, ‘Is COVID-19 still going on?’ he said. While vaccines are effective in preventing serious illness, Dr. Pirzada said they are not great for stopping the waves. The new Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subtypes appear to have the ability to bypass the immune protection acquired from previous infections and vaccines, especially if this protection has diminished over time, according to the European Center for Prevention and Control Diseases. In Canada, the only vaccine dependence for COVID-19 testing “obviously did not work,” Dr. Ladha said. “It’s important to realize that we need protective mattresses – and masks are a necessary mattress.” He said many people still do not understand that COVID-19 is transmitted by air, as he often sees hand sanitizer everywhere in public, but people walk around without a mask. “If we have ways to clean the air, then maybe in the future we will not need so much mask.” In theory, people can stop wearing masks if they are less likely to become infected, Dr. Wurster said. But the problem is the insufficient tests and data, which make it impossible for them to know when this is. “One of the biggest ironies of this whole mask issue is getting people to assess their risk,” about whether to wear one, he said. “But no one can, because we do not give data to anyone. The public has no information about how dangerous it is. “ – With quotes from Chen Wang The Morning and Afternoon Newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
