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Commented by Yvette d'Entremont on December 14, 2021

There is no need to panic about the current COVID-19 situation in Nova Scotia.

However, using N95 and KN95 masks instead of cloth and medical masks in public will not do any harm. You should worry more about the number of people partying during the holiday, rather than how many people grabbing food from the same appetizer.

These are some suggestions from Halifax epidemiologist Kevin Wilson to Nova Scotia. It was reported on Monday that the Omicron variant is now in the province and that restrictions have been implemented again before the holidays.

"If you have 20 people in a room, they are usually not together, the windows are closed, you don't wear masks, and you are all having a great holiday dinner. The problem is not that the food is arranged in the buffet," Wilson said. Said in an interview late Monday afternoon.

"If there was a lot of transmission during that event, it was not the cause of transmission. Basically, it was really ventilation and air sharing."

With the emergence of the Omicron variant in the province and the outbreak in Antigonish and the increase in cases in the central part of the province, there will be some news of restrictions that may disturb Nova Scotia people who are tired of the pandemic, but Wilson said that at this time he is optimistic that things can be reversed.

Wilson said: "Compared to this time last year, we are in a much better situation when we were in the early stages of a large-scale outbreak in the Halifax area."

"At the population level, we are in a better position, and most of us are in a better position. All the rules still apply, the same risk environment, and the same things you can do to make yourself better Safe. So just do it."

Wilson said that although it is still "early" in understanding the science of the Omicron variant, it is "basically the same virus" and the same public health measures will help.

"The most important thing we see is that it has a growth advantage over Delta Air Lines," he said.

"Although it will grow faster, become dominant faster, and lead to a flood of cases, the safety behavior is still effective."

The province announced on Monday that the public library in Nova Scotia now offers a free rapid test kit, which Wilson described as "very helpful" because testing is a low-burden activity that can bring great returns .

He said that the availability of testing gives residents of Nova Scotia a "huge advantage" over residents of many other provinces, and he actively encourages people to conduct self-tests every week to help protect others.

Although Nova Scotia people are accustomed to wearing masks in public places, most people probably don't wear respirators (N95 and KN95 masks) or medical masks—the kind that operating room personnel wear during surgery.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) now recommends that Canadians at a higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 or more serious illnesses consider wearing medical masks instead of non-medical masks.

• Anyone who has tested positive or symptomatic for COVID-19 takes care of someone who has tested positive or has symptoms for COVID-19 • People who live in an overcrowded environment with people who have tested positive or have symptoms for COVID-19 People who are at risk of more serious illness or the consequences of COVID-19 People who are at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to their living conditions

The agency also recommends that people who fall into these categories "may also consider using respirators."

PHAC noted on its website that non-medical masks may vary in their effectiveness in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Factors affecting effectiveness include materials, structure, fit, and proper use.

The agency said that "some non-medical masks" can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 like medical masks, provided they fit and have a multi-layer structure-including at least two layers of breathable tightly woven fabrics, such as cotton. They must also have an effective intermediate filter layer.

A non-medical cloth mask (top left), N95 mask and blue medical mask. Photo: Yvette d'Entremont

"Very few non-medical masks provide information about their filtering effectiveness," PHAC said.

"In general, although non-medical masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, medical masks and respirators can provide better protection.

No matter which type of mask you choose, the proper fit is a key factor in its effectiveness. "

Health Canada describes the N95 respirator as providing 95% protection around the nose and mouth to prevent exposure to respiratory viruses and bacteria when properly installed.

Although closely related to the N95 respirator, KN95 is not supervised by the same organization. In this country, those masks that do not meet the 95% filter standard are required by Health Canada to be marked as non-medical masks.

A searchable list of medical respirators authorized by Health Canada for COVID-19 related uses can be found here.

So what kind of masks do epidemiologists who live in Halifax wear in public?

"We already have the authorization for masks. If you want to do this, why not use the most effective mask? There are a bunch of KN95 around me, and this is what I actually use," Wilson said.

"I am more inclined to'Well, why not use better masks?'"

Wilson said that if COVID-19 is a pure droplet-borne virus, surgical masks or cloth masks would work well, because their goal is to ensure coughing, spitting and getting out of your mouth and/or nose." "General Fragments" will not get through the mask.

"Of course those will do it, which is great. It even suppresses your breathing to a certain extent, preventing it from spreading effectively, so they are definitely not what," he said.

"But things like N95 and KN95 respirators are designed to be very similar to breathing control. Your breath really can’t escape that space very effectively, so it’s really suppressed a lot and it filters the environment in both directions. ."

At the COVID-19 media briefing on Monday, Tim Bousquet asked the province’s chief health officer, Dr. Robert Strang, how he behaved compared to previous outbreaks . He pointed out that Strong did not seem to be so worried, and asked him if he thinks this is a pandemic that is moving in a more positive direction.

Strong said that although we can "be less worried" because of the vaccine, there are still reasons to worry if it is not well managed.

"There is always such a risk, we have been walking for so long, people are tired, people are tired, they just want to continue to live, and we just ignore the need to pay attention to the COVID agreement," Strang replied.

"That would be a mistake... I am worried that if we do not respond again, this may have a major negative impact. But at the same time, I believe we will respond again and take the necessary measures to Things are controlled at the level where vaccines can protect us, minimize serious diseases, and minimize any risks to the healthcare system."

Wilson agrees with Strong’s overall optimism, but he is concerned about the rapid increase in cases in Ontario and Quebec.

"When the rest of the country performed poorly, I immediately started thinking,'Oh, our risk of poor performance now is also increasing,' and then locally, we have a considerable outbreak where the province is located. Resources are used to increase testing in the area and isolate detected cases," Wilson said.

"I hate choosing New Brunswick, but you don't want it to become a place to enter a nursing home... Controlling small outbreaks within the campus is easier to control than the almost ubiquitous spots across the province."

His message to fellow Nova Scotia echoes most of what Strong has already stated. Make sure you are vaccinated and your eligible children are also vaccinated, restrict your social circle, maintain social distancing, wash your hands properly, and conduct regular self-tests.

"There is no need to panic now. Yes, our situation has gotten worse in the past week or so. We have a large-scale outbreak, we are about to enter the holiday, and people will move around more," Wilson said.

"That's not great. It would be great if it didn't happen. But we have done this kind of thing before, we know how it works, we just need to do a good job."

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Submitted as follows: Featured tagged as: Antigonish, COVID mask, COVID-19, Delta, PhD.

Yvette d'Entremont is a bilingual (English/French) journalist who writes news and features for The Halifax Examiner. She is also a lecturer in journalism at King's College University. Email: [Email Protection]; Twitter

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