Surgical masks, N95s both effective at preventing infection in work environments, INSPQ says
The province’s public health institute says that surgical masks and N95 masks are both effective at preventing infection from COVID-19 in the workplace.
The Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) released a literature review of the efficacy of both types of masks on the same day that the province announced its plans for teachers and students to return to the classroom on Monday.
Teachers’ unions have been demanding the provincial government provide N95 masks — considered by many experts as the “gold standard” — to teachers as classes resume to make schools safer during the height of the Omicron wave of the pandemic.
In a news release issued Thursday, INSPQ said that those masks, when worn properly, are more effective at reducing exposure to small aerosols based on data from lab tests the institute reviewed.
However, the more widely available medical masks and N95s are both effective and that “scientific knowledge does not demonstrate that one is superior to the other” in work settings.
“No mask is perfect. It is important to choose a mask adapted to each situation, and above all, to wear it correctly. In a real work context, the N95 type mask and the medical mask are effective in reducing the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2", wrote Dr. Stéphane Perron, occupational health consultant at the INSPQ.
There is one notable caveat in the institute’s findings, however. The literature review was carried out before the arrival of the Omicron variant, which public health experts say is more highly transmissible than previous variants of the novel coronavirus.
“The best approach to prevent transmission remains the application of multiple protective measures and not only through wearing a mask,” the INSPQ concluded.
INSPQ FINDINGS QUESTIONED
Not everyone shares the INSPQ’s opinion in the scientific community.
Geneviève Marchand, a microbiologist and researcher with the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), told La Presse that N95 masks are superior to medical masks and the literature reviewed by the INSPQ is “open to criticism” and has “shortcomings.”
Other experts agree that, while they are more expensive, N95s are far superior. The biggest criticism of surgical masks in the context of a COVID-19 pandemic is their fit, since they often leave gaps near the cheeks that can let in airborne particles.
In an interview with CTV News in late December, Linsey Marr, a Virginia Tech engineering professor who studies viruses in the air, said a well-fitted respirator offers more than 95 per cent protection, while the effectiveness of medical masks can range from 20 per cent to 90 per cent depending on how snug it is.
"It's even more critical now to protect yourself and others that we wear high-performance masks, which means they filter out particles well, and they fit well," Marr said.
She believes, however, they shouldn’t be used in all situations.
During a news conference Thursday in Montreal, the province’s new public health director, Dr. Luc Boileau, said he agreed with the previous decision by predecessor, Dr. Horacio Arruda, and others not, to provide teachers with N-95 masks, as some unions have long requested.
"When I arrived, I made sure to be quite aware of all those things and to have an opinion based on science, the most rigorous and solid... science possible," he said. "The analysis that was made is that no, it wouldn't necessarily be safer" for teachers to wear N-95s.
For the most part, "in a school setting, there is no [reason] to believe that there would be any advantage to using that," he said.
However, some specialized schools involve different interactions with children and are more like "care centres" or a health-care setting, he said -- N-95 masks will be provided to teachers in those schools.
With files from CTV Montreal’s Selena Ross and The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.