Advice on wearing face masks to reduce Covid-19 infection in public and in confined spaces where physical distancing of two metres is difficult to maintain, is about to be issued by National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET). It is expected to recommend that non-medical masks, including basic versions made from cloth, should be worn in settings such as shops and on public transport.
In an attempt to slow down coronavirus spread, many countries have made wearing face masks mandatory in public spaces. In Asia, countries well used to epidemics have looked on incredulously at the absence of firm advice as cases escalated in Europe. In adopting NPHET advice, however, the Government will support mask-wearing in a non-compulsory way, though the scientific argument in favour of their widespread use has strengthened appreciably.
Up to recently, health authorities followed WHO guidance: that there is little evidence to support the use of masks and clear indications that people don’t wear them properly in any event. Minds have changed, however, especially among public health and infectious diseases specialists, following studies in the US and Asia, especially on the extent to which droplets spread from a sneeze or cough. Further research showed 95 per cent of “viral load” can be trapped in a basic mask, underlining its key benefit in prevent spread from a person who has Covid-19. NPHET remained aligned with the WHO, both indicating recently that they were reviewing the advice. There is no doubt that acute shortages of medical-grade masks – and escalating cost – are a factor in their caution.
Applying the precautionary principle to analysis, leading UK scientists concluded last week that “their use could reduce onward transmission by asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic wearers if widely used in situations where physical distancing is not possible or predictable, contrasting to the standard use of masks for the protection of wearers”. If correctly used on this basis, face masks, including homemade cloth masks, could contribute to reducing viral transmission.
The Irish public could have been alerted sooner to the merits of basic masks, especially as lockdown is being eased and people are in greater circulation. Many millions of such masks will be needed. They will have to be sourced or made at home, separate to supplying them free in many scenarios, such as for older people, those who are ill or with underlying conditions. Getting used to wearing them properly will also take time, and will need effective public health messaging.
People have already shown their ability to grasp complex health messages – and to embrace good respiratory etiquette. Wearing a mask may not be as effective as washing your hands, but it can fulfil a significant role in the broader response to coronavirus.