I am asking the B.C. Ministry of Health, the B.C. Provincial Health Service Authority, Vancouver Coastal Health, and Providence Health Care to stop forcing those who have chosen to wear particulate filtering facepiece respirators (such as N95s) to remove them when entering healthcare facilities in British Columbia. This is in line with following the current scientific consensus that SARS-Cov-2 is airborne, and with adapting policy to reflect best-practices.

Please sign this petition if you agree with and support my request. 

Reasoning

Almost two years into this pandemic, the scientific community (including the World Health Organization, the US Center for Disease Control, and the Government of Canada) has reached a consensus that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is airborne.  The latest variant, Omicron, is particularly concerning, because it is much more transmissible than previous variants. It is also thought to evade vaccination. 

One of the most efficient ways to prevent becoming infected with an airborne pathogen such as SARS-CoV-2 is to wear respiratory protection. Particulate filtering facepiece respirators, such as N95s, offer protection from exposure to airborne pathogens that is far superior compared to both medical (3-ply) and non-medical (cloth) masks, even when not properly fit-tested.

Early in the pandemic, access to respirators was limited primarily to healthcare professionals treating COVID-19 patients, due to severe stock shortages and worldwide supply chain issues. Those have now been resolved. Canada has a domestic supply of a variety of affordable respirators, and they are available for purchase by the general public. 

Despite all this, current policy in B.C. healthcare facilities is still based on the by-now outdated and disproved notion that SARS-CoV-2 spreads primarily through droplet transmission. More specifically, all staff, patients, clients, and visitors of healthcare facilities must make use of medical (i.e. 3-ply surgical) masks, and respirators are still retained only for the use by healthcare workers for specific procedures—not by the public.

As a result, everyone entering a hospital or a vaccination clinic in B.C. is asked by volunteers manning entrances to remove whatever face covering they are wearing and to replace it with a 3-ply surgical mask that they provide free of charge. This is also required of those who wear respirators, even though they offer much better protection than the replacement surgical mask they are asked to use instead. 

This is both counterproductive and egregious. I am a person with chronic underlying health conditions that raise my risk of dying or severe injury if infected with SARS-Cov-2 considerably. I also have reason to be in a healthcare facility often. Considering the fact that a great number of people have contracted COVID-19 while in a BC hospital, and some have subsequently died as a result, being in one without proper respiratory protection is a risk I cannot afford to take. My family doctor agrees, and unlike the random volunteer manning the hospital entrance, she is both familiar with my health AND qualified to make such an assessment of risk.

I have therefore chosen to wear an N95 respirator in all indoor settings and I will and have had to consistently refuse to replace it with a lower-quality surgical mask. I do this even if I need to argue and stand my ground. I do this despite the anxiety and distress I feel for being forced to do so, time and again. 

But not everyone is able to do likewise. I have seen and heard from many who have felt they had to comply, despite feeling uncomfortable and unsafe doing so. And I understand why. Being forced to engage in a confrontation just to access healthcare can be stressful and traumatic particularly for those with chronic conditions that require frequent healthcare visits. Cultural barriers, personality, mental health issues, and disability may also hinder a person’s ability to effectively articulate their concerns, stand their ground, or engage in a public argument. They should not have to do so in order to safely access the healthcare they need. They should not feel forced to comply despite knowing they are less safe in doing so.