As COVID-19 cases rise across the country, some fitness experts are hopeful that schools will reinstate mask mandates to prevent the spread of the virus and other respiratory ailments as fall approaches and warnings of a “tridemic” increase.
Mandatory masking in schools was phased out nationwide last year. Eastern provinces such as Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island were the latest provinces to remove this requirement, officially ending it on May 24, 2022.
But as students head back to school in the coming weeks, experts are cautioning about the looming risk posed by three prominent viruses: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID-19. They argue reinstating mask mandates within schools may help mitigate the transmission of these viruses.
“The province steps in and mandates mask-wearing, we know masks work,” said Dr. Harris. Catherine Clase, professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
“We know that COVID is spreading in schools. . . we know that having had COVID and getting a vaccine likely wouldn’t prevent children from getting COVID again. “
He added that while COVID-19 vaccines are helpful in preventing hospitalizations and deaths, they should be paired with masks.
The last flu season was characterized by an increase in all three respiratory viruses in Canada, especially in children, exacerbated by a lack of painkillers. The situation has led to an increase in hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
Many fitness leaders believe the triple risk of viruses could hit Canadians this fall. New variants of COVID-19 are also circulating, which may make the situation even worse.
In reaction to this, an organization of British Columbia doctors, nurses and educators called Protect Our Province BC (PoP) wrote a letter to the provincial in early August, calling for the reinstatement of masks in schools.
“In September, parents in British Columbia will send their children back to school just as new recombinant variants of SARS-CoV-2 are circulating. In addition, just like last year, RSV and influenza are expected to hit young people hard,” the letter reads. Says.
“We’re on track to do a rinse and repeat this year. “
The authors urged the B.C. government to bring back mask protections in schools, with high-quality masks, such as KN95, to control COVID-19 and other airborne viruses.
Health experts say wearing masks is imperative to reducing the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.
“Masks are one of the most effective private measures we can use against ourselves and others against COVID-19,” a Health Canada spokesperson told Global News in an email Monday.
“When combined with other public fitness measures, a well-constructed, well-fitting, well-worn mask can help you get COVID-19 and spread it to others. “
When asked if Health Canada believes mask mandates will return, the spokesperson said public fitness measures, such as masks, fall under provincial and territorial jurisdiction.
A Toronto Public Health spokesperson told Global News in an email Tuesday that schools are complying with key public fitness measures to curb the transmission of respiratory viruses.
“With the anticipated rise in respiratory virus activity during the fall, the use of well-fitted, high-quality masks becomes even more relevant, particularly in indoor environments that are crowded and have inadequate ventilation. This measure holds greater significance for individuals who are at a higher risk of developing severe illness,” the spokesperson said.
Global News sent an email to some school forums across Canada asking if they would reinstate mask mandates.
A spokesperson for the Vancouver School Board (VSB) said the district relies on provincial boards.
“All schools and workplaces in the district are mask-friendly environments. According to existing rules, the decision to wear a mask is a private decision, based on individual and family preferences. If the rules and/or direction change, district staff will ensure that this data is communicated to students and families,” a VSB spokesperson said in an email Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Winnipeg’s Pembina Trails School Division told Global News in an email Tuesday that the department is tracking the physical condition of the public and “will continue to do so. “
Although the new variants of COVID-19 have many other people worried, Dr. Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, said he doesn’t require them to return to school settings.
“It’s hard to mandate masks in schools. . . (But) in the hospitals, we didn’t have as many upsets at all. People accepted them for a long time. And I recognize that it’s vital and useful. “he said.
He added that because mask mandates have such a polarizing effect, he believes politicians are unlikely to adopt them voluntarily.
“I don’t think I see an appetite to many degrees for imposing mask mandates, that we’d have them in hospitals, we’d have them in nursing homes. This is where some of the effects of COVID can be so huge. I think we’re going to see them come back,” he said.
While mask mandates may generate differing opinions among the public, Evans noted that they are proving effective from a fitness perspective.
“There’s no doubt that wearing masks helps. This reduces the threat of droplets and some short-range aerosols impacting the area where they’re going to cause infection,” he said. “It probably works about 50% of the time, especially if you wear a pretty smart mask. “
However, he acknowledges the difficulty enforcing masks in school settings, especially with young children, who may have a difficult time wearing them all day.
“I think we’re going to see a lot of problems with parents getting their kids to mask. And I think there are going to be children and youth who actually decide of their own accord that they want to mask. And particularly maybe if there’s a lot of cases in school,” he said.
Evans is under pressure for schools to have soap and hand sanitizer dispensers to implement smart hand hygiene practices that prevent the spread of disease.
He added it’s also important for staff to clean commonly touched surfaces.
Clase, also a member of McMaster University’s Center of Excellence in Protective Equipment and Materials, expressed fear that if masks are optional this school season, a significant number of students may decide not to wear them.
“Children will not wear masks unless there is a mandatory order, because we have noticed how young people have temporarily stopped wearing masks when they were not required to do so. The peer tension that affects young people in school is extraordinary,” she said.
“We’ll still need to make sure youth and young adults wear masks at school. “
Once mask mandates are implemented, Clase argued it will help other vulnerable people at school and at home.
He added that implementing mask mandates before the start of last year’s flu season could have helped prevent transmission and hospitalizations.
“What we want to do is go back to wearing masks in crowded indoor environments and study rooms are surely crowded period indoor environments,” he said.