Non-medical masks can keep people with COVID-19 from spreading it, Tam says
Posted April 6, 2020 10:19 am.
Last Updated April 6, 2020 12:33 pm.
OTTAWA — Canada’s top public-health doctor says wearing masks is a way for people who might have COVID-19 without realizing it to keep from spreading the illness to others.
That’s a change from previous advice.
Dr. Theresa Tam says the change is due to increasing evidence that people with the virus can spread it without knowing they’re sick.
Dr. Theresa Tam has new advice on masks. She says wearing a mask when you don’t have COVID-19 symptoms is a measure you can take when you’re in an area where physical distancing is complicated. Full statement below: pic.twitter.com/4lrU7qdCrB
— Jeff Slack (@Jeffslack660) April 6, 2020
She says masks worn this way protect others more than they protect the people wearing them, and don’t exempt wearers from all the other measures they should take against COVID-19, including physical distancing and regular handwashing.
And Tam says medical masks still need to be preserved for front-line health workers, so cloth masks and other alternatives are the way to go.
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The Canadian Press