Thursday July 30, 2020 ~ VICTORIA, BC
by Mary Brooke, B.Sc. ~ West Shore Voice News
The use of face masks is proving to have support in scientific and public health reports, as providing some protection against the transmission of COVID-19. That’s what BC Green MLA Andrew Weaver (Oak Bay – Gordon Head) wedged into discussion yesterday in the BC Legislature’s July 29 afternoon session.
Posing the question, and then finding but a few minutes at the end of the day’s session to hear a response from Health Minister Adrian Dix was clearly frustrating for Weaver. But he persisted. [Verbatim notes in Hansard, July 29 – see approx 1:57 pm and 2:27 pm]
Weaver asked Dix if the government would now implement a law or public health order making masks mandatory in all indoor and crowded spaces, in situations beyond people’s homes.
Weaver backed that up with statement such as “…we know that almost every nation that has seen widespread usage of face masks has fared better at limiting the spread of COVID-19 than those that haven’t.”
Dix wove an answer but stuck to the general theme that Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry has been saying — that masks seem to have minimal protection and would be terribly hard to enforce the use of.
British Columbians have paid attention:
Dix was on target with the portion of his reply in which he recognized and lauded British Columbians for heeding public health leadership in most matters of BC’s pandemic management. Getting behavioural buy-in is much less costly (in terms of time, personnel resources, and even political risk) than setting up a structure of laws, rules and enforcement.
The BC NDP government has read the mindset of its population very well in that regard… they could ask nicely, and most people would comply.
If we were in anything other than a deadly pandemic with a virus unseen, it would be astonishing the ease with which people were convinced to drop their blades (jobs, social networks, schooling, etc.) and sit out the fight (in self-isolation).
Phase 1 was ‘easy’:
Herded almost as easily as sheep, in Phase 1 of the pandemic people willingly jeopardized their finances, their social lives, their mental well-being and many other aspects of regular healthy living in order to dodge the COVID-19 bullet. Not saying we all shouldn’t have, but it was accomplished with such ease that citizens should be aware to respond so readily in that matter again. Once easily taken, second time more resilient.
BC’s overall level of education among the public was a definite plus… people listened, processed and decided on their own to comply. Avoiding contact with the virus in this way, no one can argue with the positive results of that. But now the BC government leadership has a powerful weapon in their satchel … the power to be right with less questioning and little to no resistance.
Face masks, not so simple:
People are listening to the arguments back and forth about the use of face masks during the pandemic. They hear doctors talk about it on TV news interviews, they hear Dr Henry, they get bits and pieces of the World Health Organization view, and they are still trusting their politicians as to what is right or required. Politicians deferring to science is working for now, until it doesn’t work… the power to lead on this and many other aspects of pandemic management can and will be grabbed back by the political pulpit as and when required.
While no one doubts the scientific and medical leadership of Dr Henry and her team — sensibly (and gratefully) allowed to operate at full force by Minister Dix and Premier John Horgan. That approach saved most of our population from a battle with COVID-19 that could have been a lot worse.
Realistically however, most politicians anywhere don’t have the scientific or medical cred to decide public health policy on their own. Most politicians in the western world have been just damn lucky to have devoted professional public health teams who’ve made a career out of being ‘germ nerds’. [Footnote: most countries have been lucky enough to have politicians who would take this path, unlike what we’re seeing in the USA where spread of the virus is clearly out of control.]
Realm of the unknown:
But where the public now hovers is in a place of unknowns, driven in part now by the siren call of pandemic fatigue. Physical distancing and hand washing have proven their worth. And medical masks of course filter out almost all of the virus, worn with companion personal protective equipment (PPE) in health care settings, like face shields, gowns and gloves.
But for the general public the wearing of non-medical masks is an ongoing debate, causing frustration, confusion, and worse… disregard due to tuning out the arguments. The espoused position on the usefulness of non-medical masks has been bantered about so much, that when people finally do hear a definite answer, it will fall quietly on deaf ears for many.
Common sense may prevail, if we’re lucky. We know from medical science that the COVID-19 virus is spread from our breath — more so if we speak loudly, sing, shout, or during physical exertion. Unless you sociopathically like spreading illness to the people around you, you’re going to wear a mask where you can’t maintain 2 metres distance (especially in closed, indoor spaces). Simple.
“Wearing a mask is a reflection of good COVID sense,” said Minister Dix yesterday during the legislative session (speaking from his office via video technology). adding that he wears one in the grocery store and on public transit.
He mentioned that many small businesses are mandating masks within their premises, within COVID-19 guidelines.
Masks that people wear in stores or on public transit are often as simple as a home made cloth mask or commercial ones that are a hot commodity. The jury is not so much out on the science of non-medical mask effectiveness, but really more about how their proper use could even possibly be enforced.
A hotplate political issue:
When it comes to masks, this worry about enforcement is a political and compliance issue. If the rule is put in place and then not enforced, that breeds disobedience and unpins the success of adherence to other measures. It’s likely — based on the patient but evasive tone and almost empty content of Minister Dix’s response to Weaver in the legislature yesterday — that BC is going to drag its heels on having a definitive position on masks.
BC will consistently adapt on all the aspects of managing the pandemic, based on the evidence, said Dix. Weaver did include in his comments his concerns about government overreach. “But we’re sitting in a once-in-a-century-pandemic”, said Weaver, in support of the likelihood of needing to restrict personal freedoms for the sake of the common good.
The idea of mandatory mask-wearing is “not desirable or required”, said Dix. He says wearing a mask is a matter of respect. It’s likely that most British Columbians will get into the habit of carrying a supply of masks around with them (and even wearing them) as the pandemic drags on. The tough-talk (if not enforcement) is needed — as always — for that segment of the population that (variable to each issue or situation) does not wish to or have any intention of complying.
“Dr. Henry doesn’t believe, and I don’t believe at this time, that community transmission in B.C. justifies a mandatory mask mandate — not at this time,” said Dix. “We think that it would not be justified, in light of the significant challenges in both putting it into place and the very significant exemptions, which I know the member (Andrew Weaver) would understand, that would be required.”
The fuss and worry about mask-wearing (by medical and political folks alike) is about how are they put on and taken off, how far the other person from the mask/non-mask wearer, was the mask worn indoors or outdoors, and was it hanging around the person’s neck or one ear instead of being worn in action, etc. Almost none of that is measurable or enforceable. Almost every case of dispute would be a he-said/they-said scenario.
Equal is not the same as fair:
Layered on top of the sheer impracticality — if not near-impossibility — of enforcing the proper use of masks, is the people-first BC NDP government that abhors the idea of any two people on the planet being treated in any way differently. Equal is not the same as fair/considered/reasonable.
Equality is a highly desirable goal in all social and economic circumstances. But when it comes to protection against an unseen enemy, most people would likely agree that it really is okay to come down hard on people who put others at risk by being complacent or negligent.
A firmer request of British Columbians to now wear masks in all situations when physical distancing isn’t likely or possible would be considered fair by most people under current circumstances.
Courtesy is dispensable when it comes to life-and-death:
Indeed the wearing of face masks as part of helping prevent the spread of an unseen virus would be tough to enforce in the same practical manner as assessing the blood alcohol level of a drunk driver, for instance.
So we’re down to a the use of words — but more forcefully (or convincingly) now. And possibly regulation, with some manner of enforcement (as is being attempted now in other jurisdictions in Canada).
This is a real war we’re fighting with COVID-19, it’s not a social event — courtesy and deference don’t matter in this context. Most people will happily comply if they know that face masks will help even a bit.
British Columbians will appreciate hearing the fuller truth about masks — straight up — even if, at this moment, it can’t be the whole truth (due to unshakeable evidence that is apparently not yet available).
===== LINKS
COVID-19 statistics in BC (BC Centre for Disease Control)
Schools will operate with full in-classroom learning groups in September 2020 (BC Government COVID-19: Return to School Plan)
Politicians and public health – a dance toward the COVID new normal (editorial by Mary Brooke, April 19, 2020)