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Is it safe to walk without a mask in the open air?
The Ministry of Health is discussing the possibility of abolishing the obligation to wear masks in public spaces, Dr. Idan Goren explains how much this increases the risk of contracting corona, and in which cases it is worth staying with a mask, even if you are not forced to
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Dr. Idan Goren
Friday, 09 April 2021, 07:56
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(Photography and editing: Alice Rivkin and Lior Naor)
A year and a half after the first reports of the mysterious epidemic that broke out in China and changed the lives of most of the country's inhabitants beyond recognition, it seems that at least in Israel, life is beginning to return to normal.
This is mainly due to a rapid and effective national immunization program that reduced the morbidity rate in a short time.
As part of the steps towards returning to routine, the question again arises as to the need to wear masks in public space.
This question is not unique to Israel, and it has been discussed in many places in the world, including those in which the rate of vaccinations is significantly slower than in Israel.
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To the full article
Do masks really protect us from corona?
The rationale for wearing masks in everyday life is clear, as the SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted from person to person primarily by droplet infection, i.e. by droplets formed during breathing, speech or coughing.
A face mask may help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community by reducing the passage of drops from infected people (even those who are unaware that they are infected) to healthy people.
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Most cases of infection occurred within enclosed, crowded and confined spaces such as shared residences, workplaces, family events and means of transportation.
Therefore, the importance of masks inside enclosed spaces and within medical institutions for personal protection against infection and also for controlling the source of infection (like a verified patient) is clear.
What are the chances of contracting corona in the open?
Most studies on the subject have examined the transmission of the virus within enclosed structures, and only a few studies have compared the differences between these infections and those that occur in the open air.
Five studies recently reviewed in the medical journal The Journal of Infectious Diseases found that a lower rate than reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred outside, with estimates being less than 10 percent of all cases.
Less than 10 percent of all infection cases occurred in the open air.
Woman with a mask on the beach (Photo: ShutterStock)
Compared to the chances of infection between the inside and the outside, the chance of being infected indoors was 19 times higher than that of being infected with corona outside.
The factors that contributed to open space infections were the duration of the encounter and the frequency of interpersonal contact between the participants, and the non-use of personal protective equipment.
From this it can be concluded that staying in the open air is considered safe, but that crowded social gatherings endanger you, even when they are held outdoors.
So when can you give up a mask?
When you add to these data the effectiveness of vaccines and the immunization rate in the general population, it seems that the decision to give up masks while staying in open, ventilated and uncrowded places, is likely to be relatively safe.
At the same time, this statement includes an important warning: the decision to give up a mask should depend on whether a close encounter with other people is expected, especially when participants are not recovering from corona or vaccinated.
In the case of such a meeting it is better to wear masks, whether it is obligatory or at your discretion.
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