#15,305
After vigorously resisting the idea for months, yesterday the World Health Organization reversed their policy (see WHO Interim Advice On The Community, Home, Healthcare Use of Masks For nCoV2019) on the wearing of masks in public by the general population.
Dr. Tedros, the Director-General of the WHO announced the changes in yesterday's briefing (see 2 minute video below). Click to view.
The full updated guidance (10 pages) can be accessed at the link below, following which I'll have some excerpts.
Advice on the use of masks in the context of COVID-19
Interim guidance
5 June 2020
Download (521.3 kB)
Overview
This document provides advice on the use of masks in communities, during home care, and in health care settings in areas that have reported cases of COVID-19. It is intended for individuals in the community, public health and infection prevention and control (IPC) professionals, health care managers, health care workers (HCWs), and community health workers. This updated version includes a section on Advice to decision makers on the use of masks for healthy people in community settings.
The new recommendations for public mask wearing are summarized in the following chart. Note: I've highlighted the two scenarios (symptomatic wearer & vulnerable individual) where a medical mask (as opposed to a non-medical face cover) is recommended.
This new guidance document also covers the wearing of masks in healthcare settings, and technical recommendations on the composition of non-medical masks.
While this policy change is welcome, it also comes remarkably late. The United States (belatedly) began recommending the wearing of non-medical masks in public two months ago - as did much of Europe - and the practice has been de rigueur in Asia for decades.
Late last year - but months before the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 - the World Health Organization released their long awaited guidance on NPIs (Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions). Last November, I wrote a multi-blog series (links below) on their extensive recommendations.
WHO Guidance: Non-pharmaceutical Public Health Measures for Mitigating the Risk and Impact of Epidemic and Pandemic Influenza
The WHO NPI Guidance : Personal Protection
The WHO NPI Guidance : Social Distancing
The WHO NPI Guidance : Environmental Measures
The WHO Pandemic Influenza NPI Guidance : Travel MeasuresWhile admittedly written with an influenza pandemic in mind, and based on often less-than-robust evidence, the WHO has understandably relied heavily on this technical document.
The original rationale and negative recommendation for the public wearing of masks was covered in The WHO NPI Guidance : Personal Protection.While having preexisting plans is imperative, one of the things we've learned from this pandemic is that no plan ever survives contact with the virus. To quote President Dwight D. Eisenhower; `Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.'
Many of the WHO's recommendations on international travel, quarantines, business shutdowns, early school closure, and mask wearing have been deemed either impractical, insufficient, or politically unpalatable, by many countries.While plans are essential, the ability to pivot - to quickly adjust to new and constantly evolving situation - is what is truly needed in a pandemic.
