Canada’s mask guidance has changed. Here’s why you might need an upgrade – CBC

Your cloth mask may not be as protective as you’d like, especially as we head indoors

Nov 25, 2021

Now that the cold weather has hit and people are moving inside, many doctors and scientists are urging Canadians not only to resist getting complacent about wearing masks to protect against COVID-19 — but also to take a closer look at whether that cloth mask is keeping you and others as safe as possible.

“In general, while non-medical masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, medical masks and respirators provide better protection,” the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said on its COVID-19 mask information webpage, which was updated on Nov. 12.

The updated guidance also recommends medical masks or respirators for people “who are at risk of more severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19” and those “at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 because of their living situation.”

Respirators (such as N-95 and KN-95 masks) are considered the highest level of mask protection and were previously recommended only for health-care workers coming into direct contact with infectious patients. In those high-risk areas, respirators require a “fit test.”

But in a nod to more general use, PHAC’s guidance now says: “A respirator worn in the community doesn’t need to have been formally fit tested as is required in some occupational settings.”

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canada-covid-19-mask-guidance-1.6261032