I spoke up for mandatory masking by-laws in Halton. Here’s why:

COVID-19 remains a global threat. Most who catch it survive. But people in Halton have died from this disease, as young as 19, as old as in their 90s.

COVID-19 is a new disease. We have no cure, no vaccine. It is easily spread from person to person through respiratory droplets. We are learning as we go, but research shows that:

1. This virus spreads quickly within the community.

2. This virus can infect people who show no symptoms. People know to self-isolate if they get sick. But up to 45% of transmission can come from people who don’t look or feel sick. 

3. This virus spreads through respiratory droplets, not just from sneezing and coughing, but from speaking, singing, laughing. These virus-containing droplets hang in the air, able to infect others for 10-20 minutes. If these droplets are breathed in by another person, that person is now at risk of catching and, in turn, spreading COVID-19.

All masks reduce the spread of speech droplets. They come in different varieties — home-made/ retail cloth masks, medical grade procedure/ surgical masks and medical grade N95 masks. Masks can stop anywhere from 50% to 95% of respiratory droplets from spreading depending on how the mask is made. Well over a hundred studies have arrived at the same conclusion: interventions like social distancing, strict hand washing, testing and contact tracing, isolating the sick, strict disinfection protocols, school closures and also mandatory masking, all reduce illness and death from COVID-19. Countries that have adopted mandatory masking have dropped rates of viral spread to less than 10%. In contrast, countries that do not, face viral spread rates of 50% or more. 

People worry that masks aren’t safe. Doctors, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare workers routinely wear masks and have done so for decades. Masks do not cause build-up of carbon dioxide or a drop in oxygenation. They do not cause headaches or heat stroke or lung infections. There are many, many myths circulating about masks. The worst people experience is a bit of claustrophobia or a dry throat from breathing through their mouth.

Masks have come under close scrutiny during the pandemic, mainly for their ability to add to COVID-19 safety precautions and protocols.

Masks are effective.

Masks act as a behavioral nudge. They remind people that the pandemic is ongoing. They are associated with increased compliance with physical distancing. But, it takes time to learn how to use a mask. Now is a good time to start while things are calm. We faced the same learning curve with seatbelts, helmets and bicycles, smoking in designated outdoor areas, and even condoms to prevent STDs. All of these are public health measures we take to protect not just ourselves, but our communities.

COVID-19 is here to stay. We cannot remain in lockdown. We must learn to live and work with the virus present. We do so much to keep one another safe. Mandatory masking is another.

Only in protecting one another can we protect ourselves and our loved ones.

(A shorter version of this blog was published in the Independent Free Press on July 31, 2020.)