How far (or close) are we to eliminating the use of masks outdoors like in Spain or Italy?

The mask, which has become the symbol of the pandemic COVID-19, begins to move away from the daily lives of millions of people in the world. European countries such as France, Italy and Spain, among others, now require their use only in closed spaces.

However, Latin American countries still do not follow that line. This is the case of Argentina, which eliminated it for outdoor use last October, but the measure had to be reintroduced due to the increase in cases due to the Omicron variant. Now they are evaluating using them only indoors.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has not modified the requirement for the use of masks in the country, which includes shopping malls, parks and public transport.

Asked if the Minsa is evaluating modifying the mandatory nature of face masks in the country, the director of the General Directorate of Strategic Interventions in Public Health (DGIESP), Alexis Holguín, told Trade that this preventive measure, as well as social distancing, hand hygiene and ventilation of spaces,

“No [está en evaluación eliminar el uso de mascarilla]. We must remember that just because there is a decrease in cases does not mean that we are going to relax the measures. Our health system, although it has been strengthened, still has deficiencies. And if we have a new increase in cases, they will put our health system to the test again. The only thing that a measure of this type would do is increase the number of cases.”said the official.

In this sense, Ciro Ugarte, director of Health Emergencies of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), reiterates that each country has autonomy to decide whether, according to its epidemiological and social situation, “At this time we continue to recommend that the surgical mask is the one that, well used, protects well enough”, He says.

Use the mask well

Ugarte highlights the importance of the proper use of the so-called chinstrap: “The most important thing is to wear the mask properly and in circumstances where one cannot maintain physical distance and also in closed places, where

Holguín agrees with this, which, beyond the proven level of protection provided by each mask, affirms that “You have to have how I am wearing the mask. Do masks protect us? If they do it. And this evidence is not only with covid, but with viruses and bacteria that are transmitted very similarly, such as the one that produces tuberculosis. In this case, the more layers, the better. Beyond that, if I misuse the mask and put it on my neck or have it poorly adjusted, then it will not have an impact on protection.

How much do they protect?

This is one of the most recurring debates regarding the use of masks since the start of the pandemic. When the World Health Organization, for example, did not recommend its massive use at the beginning of 2020, the reason was above all that face masks were scarce at the time and the entity considered that they should be reserved for health personnel, who were more exposed. , what is considered is whether it was the right time to massify its use as a public health policy.

But over time, the evidence on the transmission of the coronavirus by aerosols and the new variants changed the picture. The recommendations of entities such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that they were important prevention tools but that they should be accompanied by other measures; that is, the person would be more protected as long as they comply with all the biosafety recommendations.

These recommendations were given in a scenario in which vaccination had not started and the transmission of the virus was being studied. Today, with a large number of the population with immunity -either due to vaccines or due to the disease- the debate has resurfaced, above all, as the experts consulted by this newspaper mention, due to social factors such as the so-called ‘pandemic fatigue’: , and stop wearing the mask is a symbol of it.

That is why today various European countries, due to their vaccination coverage, have decided to relax their recommendations, limiting the use of masks to closed spaces and in open spaces only when physical distance is not possible, as is the case in Spain. or France, but other countries such as Denmark have completely stopped using it. All this in the context in which the WHO considers that Europe would be on the way to the end of the pandemic after the waves produced by Ómicron.

This week, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reiterated that the s, as it is known, limits the emission of respiratory droplets -one of the routes of contagion of covid- and as a protection measure focused on the vulnerable people.

The ECDC had already ruled in 2021 regarding the chinstraps, considering that their use provided and that it depended on their proper use and the additional measures that were taken, including vaccination.

The entity carried out a recent evaluation of the scientific evidence in this regard: “The results of the systematic analysis [de la evidencia científica] are consistent with this conclusion.

In addition, the European body goes beyond efficiency: “The selection of the type of mask must take into account access, availability and tolerability, in addition to efficacy”

For its part, the US CDC, in its most recent update on the use of masks, states that “They are a fundamental public health tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and it is important to remember thatTo protect yourself and others from COVID-19, the CDC continues to recommend wearing a mask that provides the most protection, fits well, and can be worn consistently.”

Along these lines, Ciro Ugarte, from PAHO, indicates that “The use of masks is an issue that is currently being evaluated in the world […] At this time we continue to recommend that the surgical mask is the one that, well used, protects well enough, particularly

Alexis Holguín, from the Minsa, recalls that “Its use is still recommended as a protection measure at the international level; [en la mayoría de países]. There is no evidence that says they should be stopped, what the studies indicate are the differences in the levels of protection provided by each type of mask.

“In some countries, the removal of masks has been a very hasty measure, and we have to see what the impact of this decision is on them and what the international recommendations are. We all want to return to normality, but these decisions have to be made taking into account scientific evidence and the recommendations of international entities”, Holguin ends.