Now is NOT the time to end all mask mandates, we need 'Smart' Masking.
The Issue
Now is not the right time to drop all mask mandates.
Until updated vaccines are available, and antiviral treatments are plentiful, we should make the common spaces we share as safe as possible. We need ‘SMART’ Masking.
Shopping/groceries/workplaces
Medical settings
Academic/schools
Religious gatherings
Transit/Uber/Air travel
With case counts low and decreased community prevalence, it makes sense to relax masking requirements in some settings. Those going to restaurants, crowded bars and large personal gatherings have likely weighed the risks to themselves and their families – they have judged the risks of infection and long COVID to be low and are acting accordingly. The problem is that they can infect people in the common spaces they share with people who do not have the luxury of ignoring COVID. These include elderly, small children (not eligible for vaccination), those with comorbidities and those with compromised immune systems.
Our group, Masks4Canada, has been there from the beginning, advocating for the use of masks to prevent transmission of COVID in the general public as well as better quality masks among health professionals. We have also been trying to get our health authorities to recognize that COVID is airborne. If you’re wearing an N95 mask or have heard about HEPA filters, you know of our work. We are absolutely dedicated to limiting the loss of life to this deadly virus.
Let’s address some common questions:
Q: Why do we need masks when we have effective vaccines against COVID?
A: Mask use is well studied and has been very effective in reducing the impact of this pandemic on Canadians. Research has shown that masks are extremely effective, especially when combined with high vaccination rate; and these can help to mitigate future waves of variants.
Without masks, we need only look at what is happening in Denmark and the UK to see where we are going. Despite high population level immunity, their cases are spiking (again), and their death rate is still climbing. Each successive variant evades vaccine-based protection, and without variant specific boosters, that will only get worse with time.
Q: I thought that the vaccines were still effective at stopping severe illness and death?
A: They do, but for a limited time especially in the elderly, where immunity and effectiveness at preventing severe illness seems to wane 2-3 months after each dose of vaccine. This was noted after the second dose of vaccine against the Omicron variant by authorities in Israel, UK and the US, thus kicking off the booster campaign. While we hope this is not the case after the 3rd dose, we have to be prepared for the possibility that the same waning immunity will happen.
Another problem is that among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations, Canada ranks near the bottom in terms of healthcare capacity. We simply don’t have the ability to absorb a large increase in cases. We also don’t have the ability to increase our capacity quickly; it is limited by people, not beds or rooms. An increase would take years.
Q: I’m young and healthy, why do I need to worry about COVID? Why can’t elderly and vulnerable people shelter at home until better solutions are available?
A: Long-term COVID (also called Long COVID) can affect up to 10% of those infected who are double vaccinated, even healthy young people with no medical conditions. This could include disabling symptoms such as brain fog, cognitive issues, crushing fatigue, as well as disruptions in basic body autonomic functions. This can end your career, completely disrupt the normal functioning of your life, and is something you should avoid as much as possible.
Q: I thought new antiviral treatments were available? I can just take a pill and I’ll be fine right?
A: The most promising antiviral treatment is called Paxlovid, developed by Pfizer. It is a protease inhibitor that helps inhibit viral replication. The issue is that it is very difficult to make, and very few doses are available to anyone in the world. The US has announced a program for ‘test to treat’ on the spot with a positive rapid test, but we are far from seeing that happen in Canada in the next few months.
Other treatments include monoclonal antibodies, but they cost thousands of dollars for each treatment, need specialised infusion centres, and are less and less effective with each successive variant.
Q: When do you think is a good time to drop the mask mandate?
A: A few conditions would need to be met:
1) Currently most children 5-11 are undervaccinated, and the population as a whole is under-boosted. If we want to guard against a massive surge of long-COVID cases, this needs to change.
2) Vaccines need to be approved for kids <5.
3) Antivirals need to be available in large quantities so we can treat people and avoid hospitalization and long-COVID.
4) Variant-specific vaccines need to be available and work better than our current mRNA vaccines.
Why the emphasis on vaccinating kids? Even if they don’t typically get as sick as adults, this does not, unfortunately, mean that they can’t spread COVID. It also does not exempt kids from developing Long COVID. In addition, we aren’t able, at this point, to predict who does and who does not develop Long COVID. Sadly, the UK provides us with a compelling example of what happens when a large number of children who are unvaccinated are exposed to Omicron: 7-8% of children ages 2-16 reported continued symptoms, with specialty services for these children costing the UK £100 million to set up.
In summary, masks are simple and effective at preventing transmission and infection with COVID virus. This will keep our healthcare system from being overwhelmed, and will keep our kids at school and their families at work. It will help to prevent tragic deaths and disability from long-COVID. In addition, communicating that we need to maintain this last measure until more people get vaccinated will help to encourage people to get vaccinated.
Please share this petition widely!
Sincerely,
Signed:
Dr. Abdu Sharkawy MD FRCPC, Internal Medicine & Infectious Diseases, Toronto
Dr. Kashif Pirzada MD CCFP(EM), Emergency Physician, Toronto
Dr. Jennifer Kwan MD CCFP, Family Medicine Physician, Burlington
Dr. Joe Vipond MD CCFP(EM) BSc, Emergency Physician, Calgary
Dr. Lisa Iannattone MD, Physician, Montreal
Dr. Anna Wolak MD, Family Physician, Vancouver
Dr. Victor Leung MD, Infectious Diseases Physician and Medical Microbiologist, Vancouver
Dr. Christine Guptill OT Reg. (Ont.), PhD, Assistant Professor, Ottawa
Dr. Joseph Oliver MD FRCPC MSc, Paediatrician, Hamilton
Dr. Faria Sakhia MBBS CCFP MPH, Family Physician, Toronto
Dr. Karen Wang MEd MD FRCPC, Psychiatrist, Toronto
Dr. Sarah Addleman MD CCFP-EM, Emergency Physician, Ottawa
Dr. Jennifer McDonald MD, FRCPC PM&R, Physician, Ottawa
Dr. Edith Hui MD, Family Physician, Toronto
Dr. Anh Tran MD, Family Physician, Vaughan
Leah Ugulini, Dental Hygienist, Fonthill
Dr. Shelley Smith MD, Family Physician, Edmonton
Dr. Michel Giroux MD, Médecin spécialiste, Baie d’Urfé
Dr. Sonal Gandhi MD, MSc, FRCPC, Medical Oncologist, Toronto
Dr. Rupinder Sahsi MD, Emergency Medicine Physician, Kirchener-Waterloo
Dr. Russell E. Bishop PhD Biochemistry, Associate Professor, Hamilton
Dr. Betty Chui MD FRCPC, Physician, Hamilton
Dr. Sunny Tam DDS, Dentist, Hamilton
Dr. Faruqa Ladha MD FRCPC, Pediatrician, Calgary
Dr. Jos Anderson MD, CCFP, Family Physician, Ottawa
Dr. Stephanie Barnes MD, FRCP, DTM&H, Emergency Medicine Specialist, Mississauga
Dr. Mariette de Bruin MD, Family Physician, Terrace BC
Dr. Danielle Diaz MD, Family Physician, BC
Dr. Giorgia Tropini MD, MSc, CCFP, Family Physician, Vancouver
Jaime Trick MScPT, Physiotherapist, Ottawa
Andrea Taylor MRT(R), Medical Radiation Technologist, Georgetown
Anne MacDonald RN, Contracts Officer, Ottawa
Kathleen Gadd MLIS, Health Sciences Librarian, Miramichi, NB
Bernadette Couture RN, MScN, Primary Care NP, Nurse Practitioner, Montreal
Dr. Lina Al-Imari MD, Family Physician, Vaughan
Dr. Tehseen Ladha MD, MPH, FRCPC, Pediatrician, Edmonton
Dr. Hannah Davis MD, CCFP(EM), Emergency Medicine Physician, Mississauga
Dr. Crystal Chettle MD, Anesthesiologist, Paris
Dr. Mark Diaz MD, Family Physician, British Columbia
Dr. Jeff Pitcher MD, Family / ER Medicine, Orillia
Dr. Heather Weir MD, Psychiatrist, Toronto
Dr. Nicole Vosters MD, CFPC, Family Physician, Winnipeg
Dr. Ellen Margolese MD. FRCPC, Physician, Toronto
Dr. Lana Silbernagel MD, Psychiatrist, Ottawa
Dr. Julie Nault MD, Pediatrician, Ottawa
Dr. Michael Jeffrey Wagner BMSc(Hons), MD, CCFP, Family Physician & Hospitalist, Mount Brydges
Valerie Blais NP, Nurse Practitioner Primary Care, Sudbury
Dr. Bruce W. Case M.D.C.M., M.Sc., Dipl. Occ. Hygiene; AP/ Epidem., Pathologist/ Epidemiologist, Westmount
Dr. Carly Ng MD, Emergency Physician, Toronto
Dr. Helena Liu MD, Family Physician, Toronto
Dr. Lisa Salamon MD, Emergency Physician, Toronto
Dr. Hal Berman MD FRCPC, Physician, Toronto
Dr. Javed Alloo MD CCFP, Family Physician, Toronto
About us: Masks4Canada is a grassroots group of healthcare workers, academics, engineers, and other professionals who collaborate to advocate for evidence-based and equitable public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. We do not accept any funding, or endorse any products or political parties.
Petition Closed
The Issue
Now is not the right time to drop all mask mandates.
Until updated vaccines are available, and antiviral treatments are plentiful, we should make the common spaces we share as safe as possible. We need ‘SMART’ Masking.
Shopping/groceries/workplaces
Medical settings
Academic/schools
Religious gatherings
Transit/Uber/Air travel
With case counts low and decreased community prevalence, it makes sense to relax masking requirements in some settings. Those going to restaurants, crowded bars and large personal gatherings have likely weighed the risks to themselves and their families – they have judged the risks of infection and long COVID to be low and are acting accordingly. The problem is that they can infect people in the common spaces they share with people who do not have the luxury of ignoring COVID. These include elderly, small children (not eligible for vaccination), those with comorbidities and those with compromised immune systems.
Our group, Masks4Canada, has been there from the beginning, advocating for the use of masks to prevent transmission of COVID in the general public as well as better quality masks among health professionals. We have also been trying to get our health authorities to recognize that COVID is airborne. If you’re wearing an N95 mask or have heard about HEPA filters, you know of our work. We are absolutely dedicated to limiting the loss of life to this deadly virus.
Let’s address some common questions:
Q: Why do we need masks when we have effective vaccines against COVID?
A: Mask use is well studied and has been very effective in reducing the impact of this pandemic on Canadians. Research has shown that masks are extremely effective, especially when combined with high vaccination rate; and these can help to mitigate future waves of variants.
Without masks, we need only look at what is happening in Denmark and the UK to see where we are going. Despite high population level immunity, their cases are spiking (again), and their death rate is still climbing. Each successive variant evades vaccine-based protection, and without variant specific boosters, that will only get worse with time.
Q: I thought that the vaccines were still effective at stopping severe illness and death?
A: They do, but for a limited time especially in the elderly, where immunity and effectiveness at preventing severe illness seems to wane 2-3 months after each dose of vaccine. This was noted after the second dose of vaccine against the Omicron variant by authorities in Israel, UK and the US, thus kicking off the booster campaign. While we hope this is not the case after the 3rd dose, we have to be prepared for the possibility that the same waning immunity will happen.
Another problem is that among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations, Canada ranks near the bottom in terms of healthcare capacity. We simply don’t have the ability to absorb a large increase in cases. We also don’t have the ability to increase our capacity quickly; it is limited by people, not beds or rooms. An increase would take years.
Q: I’m young and healthy, why do I need to worry about COVID? Why can’t elderly and vulnerable people shelter at home until better solutions are available?
A: Long-term COVID (also called Long COVID) can affect up to 10% of those infected who are double vaccinated, even healthy young people with no medical conditions. This could include disabling symptoms such as brain fog, cognitive issues, crushing fatigue, as well as disruptions in basic body autonomic functions. This can end your career, completely disrupt the normal functioning of your life, and is something you should avoid as much as possible.
Q: I thought new antiviral treatments were available? I can just take a pill and I’ll be fine right?
A: The most promising antiviral treatment is called Paxlovid, developed by Pfizer. It is a protease inhibitor that helps inhibit viral replication. The issue is that it is very difficult to make, and very few doses are available to anyone in the world. The US has announced a program for ‘test to treat’ on the spot with a positive rapid test, but we are far from seeing that happen in Canada in the next few months.
Other treatments include monoclonal antibodies, but they cost thousands of dollars for each treatment, need specialised infusion centres, and are less and less effective with each successive variant.
Q: When do you think is a good time to drop the mask mandate?
A: A few conditions would need to be met:
1) Currently most children 5-11 are undervaccinated, and the population as a whole is under-boosted. If we want to guard against a massive surge of long-COVID cases, this needs to change.
2) Vaccines need to be approved for kids <5.
3) Antivirals need to be available in large quantities so we can treat people and avoid hospitalization and long-COVID.
4) Variant-specific vaccines need to be available and work better than our current mRNA vaccines.
Why the emphasis on vaccinating kids? Even if they don’t typically get as sick as adults, this does not, unfortunately, mean that they can’t spread COVID. It also does not exempt kids from developing Long COVID. In addition, we aren’t able, at this point, to predict who does and who does not develop Long COVID. Sadly, the UK provides us with a compelling example of what happens when a large number of children who are unvaccinated are exposed to Omicron: 7-8% of children ages 2-16 reported continued symptoms, with specialty services for these children costing the UK £100 million to set up.
In summary, masks are simple and effective at preventing transmission and infection with COVID virus. This will keep our healthcare system from being overwhelmed, and will keep our kids at school and their families at work. It will help to prevent tragic deaths and disability from long-COVID. In addition, communicating that we need to maintain this last measure until more people get vaccinated will help to encourage people to get vaccinated.
Please share this petition widely!
Sincerely,
Signed:
Dr. Abdu Sharkawy MD FRCPC, Internal Medicine & Infectious Diseases, Toronto
Dr. Kashif Pirzada MD CCFP(EM), Emergency Physician, Toronto
Dr. Jennifer Kwan MD CCFP, Family Medicine Physician, Burlington
Dr. Joe Vipond MD CCFP(EM) BSc, Emergency Physician, Calgary
Dr. Lisa Iannattone MD, Physician, Montreal
Dr. Anna Wolak MD, Family Physician, Vancouver
Dr. Victor Leung MD, Infectious Diseases Physician and Medical Microbiologist, Vancouver
Dr. Christine Guptill OT Reg. (Ont.), PhD, Assistant Professor, Ottawa
Dr. Joseph Oliver MD FRCPC MSc, Paediatrician, Hamilton
Dr. Faria Sakhia MBBS CCFP MPH, Family Physician, Toronto
Dr. Karen Wang MEd MD FRCPC, Psychiatrist, Toronto
Dr. Sarah Addleman MD CCFP-EM, Emergency Physician, Ottawa
Dr. Jennifer McDonald MD, FRCPC PM&R, Physician, Ottawa
Dr. Edith Hui MD, Family Physician, Toronto
Dr. Anh Tran MD, Family Physician, Vaughan
Leah Ugulini, Dental Hygienist, Fonthill
Dr. Shelley Smith MD, Family Physician, Edmonton
Dr. Michel Giroux MD, Médecin spécialiste, Baie d’Urfé
Dr. Sonal Gandhi MD, MSc, FRCPC, Medical Oncologist, Toronto
Dr. Rupinder Sahsi MD, Emergency Medicine Physician, Kirchener-Waterloo
Dr. Russell E. Bishop PhD Biochemistry, Associate Professor, Hamilton
Dr. Betty Chui MD FRCPC, Physician, Hamilton
Dr. Sunny Tam DDS, Dentist, Hamilton
Dr. Faruqa Ladha MD FRCPC, Pediatrician, Calgary
Dr. Jos Anderson MD, CCFP, Family Physician, Ottawa
Dr. Stephanie Barnes MD, FRCP, DTM&H, Emergency Medicine Specialist, Mississauga
Dr. Mariette de Bruin MD, Family Physician, Terrace BC
Dr. Danielle Diaz MD, Family Physician, BC
Dr. Giorgia Tropini MD, MSc, CCFP, Family Physician, Vancouver
Jaime Trick MScPT, Physiotherapist, Ottawa
Andrea Taylor MRT(R), Medical Radiation Technologist, Georgetown
Anne MacDonald RN, Contracts Officer, Ottawa
Kathleen Gadd MLIS, Health Sciences Librarian, Miramichi, NB
Bernadette Couture RN, MScN, Primary Care NP, Nurse Practitioner, Montreal
Dr. Lina Al-Imari MD, Family Physician, Vaughan
Dr. Tehseen Ladha MD, MPH, FRCPC, Pediatrician, Edmonton
Dr. Hannah Davis MD, CCFP(EM), Emergency Medicine Physician, Mississauga
Dr. Crystal Chettle MD, Anesthesiologist, Paris
Dr. Mark Diaz MD, Family Physician, British Columbia
Dr. Jeff Pitcher MD, Family / ER Medicine, Orillia
Dr. Heather Weir MD, Psychiatrist, Toronto
Dr. Nicole Vosters MD, CFPC, Family Physician, Winnipeg
Dr. Ellen Margolese MD. FRCPC, Physician, Toronto
Dr. Lana Silbernagel MD, Psychiatrist, Ottawa
Dr. Julie Nault MD, Pediatrician, Ottawa
Dr. Michael Jeffrey Wagner BMSc(Hons), MD, CCFP, Family Physician & Hospitalist, Mount Brydges
Valerie Blais NP, Nurse Practitioner Primary Care, Sudbury
Dr. Bruce W. Case M.D.C.M., M.Sc., Dipl. Occ. Hygiene; AP/ Epidem., Pathologist/ Epidemiologist, Westmount
Dr. Carly Ng MD, Emergency Physician, Toronto
Dr. Helena Liu MD, Family Physician, Toronto
Dr. Lisa Salamon MD, Emergency Physician, Toronto
Dr. Hal Berman MD FRCPC, Physician, Toronto
Dr. Javed Alloo MD CCFP, Family Physician, Toronto
About us: Masks4Canada is a grassroots group of healthcare workers, academics, engineers, and other professionals who collaborate to advocate for evidence-based and equitable public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. We do not accept any funding, or endorse any products or political parties.
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Petition created on March 10, 2022