Covid-19: the Health Committee recommends the mask in “closed places” but not its obligation

If the dynamics of the eighth wave of Covid-19 remain “to be monitored”, this rebound in the pandemic is for the moment “of moderate intensity”. This is the conclusion of the first opinion of Covars, the Committee for the monitoring and anticipation of health risks, successor to the Scientific Council, published this Monday.

Faced with the epidemic situation in France, the nineteen members of this committee delivered their guideline, in particular to the authorities. His recommendation: “prevent, detect, treat, involve.”

The mask as a “gesture of solidarity with the most fragile”

“Communication about the use of masks must be reinforced, encouraging, simple, clear and repeated”, can be read in this opinion. In short, the Covars do not recommend the obligation to wear a mask.

However, he points out that “putting a mask on transport, in closed and poorly ventilated places where there are people is a gesture of solidarity with the most fragile”.

In addition, Covars scientists recommend “maintaining the obligation to wear a mask in health structures” but also point to “a context of pandemic fatigue that limits adherence to preventive, screening and treatment measures.”

The importance of barrier gestures

However, this recommendation could evolve according to the epidemic and the appearance of new variants with epidemic potential in the coming weeks and months, the committee warns.

In its prevention recommendations, it explains that all winter infectious diseases such as the flu, bronchiolitis or gastroenteritis must be taken into account.

“These epidemics greatly increase the tension of specialized services”, can be read in the notice, in a tense context in the hospital.

Beyond the use of the mask, the scientists also recommend “establishing, where the situation requires it, the ventilation of the premises”, in particular in schools, where it is also recommended to install CO2 sensors.

Finally, Covars intends to give a boost to the vaccination campaign “to reach the goal of 18 million eligible in 3 months.”