Too early to do away with face masks, but onus on public: experts

While some states have decided to stop punishing people for not wearing masks as COVID-19 cases continue to fall, health experts believe it’s too early to lift the restriction completely.

They have advised people to voluntarily mask themselves to also remain protected against infections such as the flu and swine flu, apart from the coronavirus. The governments of Maharashtra and Delhi recently decided to relax the restriction on the mandatory wearing of face masks in public, a standard that was in place for two years and the violation of which was subject to a fine of ₹2,000.

Commenting on the development, noted virologist T. Jacob John said that as the pandemic in India is “over”, the use of a mask is no longer necessary to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The mask mandate has lived its time and there is no justification for its continuation as a “mandate”.

But it is a good idea to promote the voluntary wearing of masks in public places to prevent the inhalation of dust and other respiratory tract agents, including TB bacteria, flu viruses, other respiratory viruses such as syncytial virus, adenovirus, common cold, etc. reduce, he said. “It’s a habit that will reduce disease. Currently, we’re seeing kidney transplant patients wearing masks; everyone will benefit — on buses, trains, planes, etc,” John, the former director of the Indian Council for Medical Research Center of Advanced Research in Virology, told PTIA† “My personal opinion is that wearing masks should be active in all hospital buildings, in outpatient clinics, queues and waiting areas. I am not averse to even having a mandate. For staff and patients, relatives, visitors etc.” added John.

dr. Ravi Shekhar Jha, additional director and head of the Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad, said masks should remain mandatory and it is premature to abandon this custom entirely.

“The disastrous second wave, which took many young lives around the world, was something the modern world had never seen before. People had become a little complacent after the first wave and that probably led to an uncontrolled rise in the number of fatalities. While it is true that the majority of susceptible Indians are vaccinated, what we need to keep in mind is that the vaccine does not protect us from infection. Even if the infection is not fatal, it will keep you weak for many months,” he said .

“We all know the long-term COVID. Therefore, it is best not to get infected. So far, science has proven that masks are the only significant contributor to preventing infection,” Jha said. PTIA† Another important consideration here is that while COVID-19 has likely eased, the country has seen a reduction in swine flu cases as a result of masks and sanitation.

“Swine flu is more deadly than COVID and the combination called flurona can also be prevented because of this. That is why, in my opinion, masks should not be taken out of fashion too early…” he noted.

dr. Akshay Budhraja, senior pulmonologist, Aakash Healthcare Super Specialty Hospital, said it’s time to stop oscillating between disability and normalcy. We have to learn to live with the coronavirus as we live with other viruses such as flu and adenovirus, among others.

“Masks should not be mandatory for the general population, but are recommended for those who are ill or have some form of immunosuppressive disease, those who visit crowded closed places with poor ventilation, or when visiting a healthcare facility such as a hospital or clinic .” he said.

“At the same time, we must remain cautious and follow the latest recommendations that may change from time to time in the coming months, according to the statistics. Now that everyone knows when to wear a mask, we must take responsibility ourselves in the coming time,” he added ready.

dr. Arunesh Kumar, HOD and senior consultant, Pulmonology, Paras Hospitals, Gurugram, said there has been an increase in COVID-19 cases in both West and China.

“Making is the second most effective post-vaccination intervention when it comes to preventing new COVID-19 infection. We are still not there with double numbers of vaccine recipients, where herd immunity will be achieved. New infections invite virus mutation With a population as large as ours, it could prove to be a costly move as people will definitely find a reason not to put on a mask as a major deterrent has been removed,” he said.

dr. Kumar argued for unlocking but not debunking: “I urge people to consider masking on a voluntary basis when out and about to help the country fight the COVID infection effectively.”

• While some states have decided to stop punishing people for not wearing masks as COVID-19 cases continue to fall, health experts believe it’s too early to lift the restriction completely.

• dr. Kumar argued for unlocking but not debunking: “I urge people to consider masking on a voluntary basis when out and about to help the country fight the COVID infection effectively.”

• It is a good idea to promote the voluntary wearing of masks in public places to reduce the inhalation of dust and other respiratory tract agents, including TB bacteria, flu viruses, other respiratory viruses such as syncytial virus, adenovirus, common cold, etc. .