With COVID-19 cases expected to rise, should you be wearing a mask again? Here’s what experts say – CTV
Oct. 5, 2022
We are in the “Omicron era” of the COVID-19 pandemic, as infectious disease specialist Isaac Bogoch puts it.
The newest sub-lineages of the Omicron variant, BQ.1/BQ1.11 and BA.2.75.2, are extremely transmissible and have been detected in other parts of the world. Bogoch believes the sub-lineages may drive future waves across Canada.
When it comes to efforts preventing the spread of the variant, some data suggests wearing a mask can reduce the rate of COVID-19 infections at the community level, Bogoch told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.
“But in the Omicron era, we’re seeing some weakening of that data, meaning there’s just not a lot of wiggle room in the Omicron era.”
By “wiggle room,” he means masks reduce the risk of getting infected, but don’t eliminate it.
