Wear your masks to keep COVID numbers at zero, infectious disease expert says

Despite there being no active cases of COVID-19in Newfoundland and Labrador, Memorial University nursing professor Donna Moralejo says it's not time to stop wearing masks.

Moralejo, who specializes in infectious disease control, said the evidence is growing stronger that wearing a mask prevents the spread of COVID-19, and can help keep the shutout streakalive in the province.

As workplaces and retail centres get busier, Moralejo said it becomes even more important to take precautions.

"The masks are protecting others from the person who's wearing the mask," she said."And right now we are having more and more exposures to people we don't know as the province opens up."

Moralejo said the return of COVID-19 to the province is almost inevitable, especially since the province is opening its borders to citizens of other Atlantic provinces on July 3 without a requirement for them to isolate upon arrival.

"The virus is out there, so it will find its way back to our shores," she said.

"We need to identify people quickly who have it and protect ourselves from those who don't know they are carrying it."

The advice on non-medical masks has changed from the beginning of the pandemic. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief medical officer, initially warned about the unknown efficiency of wearing a homemade mask, and then later advised people to wear them.

Moralejo said it was always clear masks would protect people around you, but it's now becoming evident wearing a mask can help protect the wearer as well.

Use layers, make it comfortable

She pointed to a case in Missouri, where two hairstylists tested positive for COVID-19 after seeing about 140 patients between them. They were both wearing masks, and so were all their clients. But aside from the two stylists, nobody else contractedthe virus.

"So that does show you that wearing masks for both the wearer and the people around them can be protective."

Moralejo said surgical masks are best, but a cloth mask will do. It should be made of more than one layer of cloth, but not so many that it's hard to breathe.

It should also be comfortable otherwise people are adjusting their masks and contaminating them with their hands.

Moralejo said masks also serve as a reminder to people around you that the pandemic is still something to be serious about.

"I see it as a reminder to be vigilant, as well as to be protective," she said.

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