Everything About the Mask Debate As Authorities Around the World Decide Whether Healthy People Should Wear Masks

2020-04-03 , 3:27 pm

To mask, or not to mask, that is the question.

Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, healthy people have been lambasted for taking away surgical masks from those who need it more, like the sick and healthcare professionals.

You don’t have to wear them if you’re not sick, we were told.

Fine, we said, and hid away the 400 boxes of face masks that we had purchased on Carousell.

But now some experts are reconsidering their view; President Trump recently said that the American government might soon release a public advisory urging Americans to wear cloth masks or face coverings in public to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also expected to advise the public to use cloth masks, which can be made at home at a low cost.

So, which is it? Should we or should we not wear face masks?

Everything About the Mask Debate

Early on in the outbreak, leading health organisations said that healthy people do not need to wear masks.

For example, the World Health Organisation’s website says: “If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV (Covid-19) infection”.

But there’s a contradiction in this – if masks really did not help prevent infection, why would healthcare workers need them?

Well, there’s a simple explanation: if everyone purchases and wears these masks, there won’t be enough for those who are most at risk of contracting the virus: those at the frontline.

That’s why when Trump was asked whether the public should wear masks, he said: “We don’t want to take them away from our medical professionals, but I don’t see it hurting.”

But now, experts are changing their views because of two reasons; growing evidence of presymptomatic or asymptomatic transmission, and airborne transmission.

Transmission Without Symptoms

One of the main reasons public health experts are advocating for the public to wear masks now is increasing evidence that Covid-19 patients can spread the disease without exhibiting symptoms.

This could mean presymptomatic transmission, where the disease is spread from one individual to another before the first person starts showing any symptoms of the illness.

Or it could mean asymptomatic transmission, where you’re infected and can pass the virus to others even though you don’t have symptoms.

A recent study in Singapore, for example, showed that at least 10 people got the coronavirus from those without symptoms.

And there’s also a growing body of data that suggests that some percentage of people who test positive for the virus never display any symptoms, but are likely to still be capable of spreading the disease.

This is one reason why the American government is considering advising the public to start wearing masks, whether they’re sick or not.

Airborne Transmission

New research also suggests that the virus can sometimes spread through the air, where small particles have stayed aloft for up to 3 hours in a lab setting.

There’s no need to panic like the dog above though, because experts don’t actually know whether the virus is really spreading this way.

However, there is one case at a choir recital in Washington that might be due to airborne transmission. No one was noticeably ill at the event, but at least 45 choir members likely later got Covid-19, and at least one died.

So, while it has not been proven yet, it may be a possibility.

Therefore, masks would help with the airborne transmission, right? Unfortunately, unlike humans, not all masks are created equal.

Different Masks, Different Levels of Protection

According to BuzzFeedNews, N95 masks offer about 95% protection against small particles and large droplets, more than surgical and homemade masks.

This is why the WHO and the CDC only recommend N95s for health care workers at the greatest risk of virus exposure. No one is recommending the public wear N95 respirators, however, due to a limited supply, though you’ve to admit it looks pretty cool.

The second most effective mask is the surgical mask, which offers about a 90% filtration efficiency for very small particles. Unlike the N95 mask, the surgical mask does not protect against very small particles in the air.

And what about cloth or homemade masks? Well, its efficacy depends on its material and quality, which can vary.

One study found that cloth or homemade masks were less effective than surgical masks and “should be viewed as the last possible alternative if a supply of commercial face masks is not available”, the study authors wrote.

Plus, even if they were effective, how do you properly decontaminate them, and how long can you reuse them for?

There are still many questions around the use of face masks, which is why there is no general consensus on which is the best.

So, Should I Wear a Mask?

According to The Washington Post, this answer is a resounding yes, and here are four reasons why:

It prevents you from infecting others
It protects you from others around you who might be sick, though the degree of protection depends on the mask
It serves as a reminder not to touch your face
It serves as a vital social cue – it sends a signal to others that there is a real threat out there

Ultimately, it’s your decision, but based on growing evidence, it does seem that wearing a mask would be better.

But authorities have a tricky balancing act: protecting the public without compromising the safety of healthcare workers if the masks were to run out.

Unfortunately, this is one of those situations where there’s no clear solution.