States support "personal choice" on masks

Thursday 09 April 2020

While Jersey's Health Officer has started advising people to wear cloth masks, Guernsey's Public Health team is taking a slightly different approach based on the limited evidence available.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organisation updated its advice on the use of masks in the community, stating that while proper use could help limit the spread of corona virus, masks will not make a difference on their own.

On the back of the new advice, Public Health Guernsey has said it will support a person’s choice if they want to wear a cloth mask, as long as they follow the right precautions.

“If you look at cloth masks, if they are not properly used they can in fact present a risk to that person,” said Director of Public Health, Dr Nicola Brink. “If you are going to use a cloth mask you need to launder it properly, tumble dry it and iron it. That is really, really important."

However, although Jersey is now 'strongly recommending' that island residents wear masks every time they go out into the community, regardless of symptoms, Guernsey's Public Health team is leaving it down to personal opinion.

Pictured: Dr Nicola Brink.

"I don't think the use of masks in clinical settings and symptomatic people - that isn't a matter of dispute," continued Dr Brink. "The issue is the use of masks in the wider community in people with no symptoms.

"One of the things I'm really concerned about is we must not use masks to lull us into a false sense of security. If people are symptomatic I do not want them putting a mask on and saying 'great I can go out, it’s absolutely fine'. It’s not fine. Symptomatic people need to stay at home in self isolation.

"I think people need to be cognisant of the fact that using a mask is not going to so much protect them from infection, but might prevent them from transmitting infection."

With the ongoing worldwide shortage of personal protective equipment, the team is encouraging people who do decide to wear a mask to stick with cloth equipment.

Pictured: There is still a worldwide shortage of PPE (file image).

"Surgical masks need to be used for healthcare workers and in healthcare settings," added Dr Brink. "There's a worldwide shortage and we'd ask, please, for people not to use them i the community when they have no symptoms at all."

Public Health will continue to monitor the available evidence and will review its decision in the future if need be. But, for now it remains a decision for each individual.

"The Public Health view is we’ll support a personal choice with regard to the use of cloth masks, as long as people don’t use it when they’re symptomatic to be out in the community, with all the caveats of using it properly, and with all the caveats about laundering it properly, changing it when it’s wet and so on.

"We feel that’s the most balanced approach based on the evidence we have."

Further information and advice on the use of masks is available here.