Will the mask again cover our faces in public transport or at work to protect us from Covid-19? This is in any case the recommendation of the National Academy of Medicine, according to a statement released Wednesday. The learned society recommends “the wearing of a surgical-type mask in hospitals, dispensaries, health centers and pharmacies, and in closed spaces open to the public, such as public transport during busy periods” .
It also recommends wearing an FFP2 type mask “in enclosed public spaces for the elderly or carriers of comorbidities, for the entourage and health professionals who are in contact with vulnerable people, and for pregnant women. , even when they are up to date with their vaccinations”.
Covid-19, bronchiolitis and flu
However, the body does not recommend an obligation, “the health situation does not require it”. The National Academy of Medicine is concerned as the “eighth wave of Covid-19 appears to be stabilizing at a high level” alongside an “early seasonal flu epidemic” and the epidemic of “bronchiolitis in children less than 2 years old.
The current wave of Covid-19, underway since early September, is on the downward slope in terms of contaminations and hospitalizations, according to figures released Thursday by health authorities. According to the most up-to-date figures, 42,025 contaminations were recorded on Thursday.
The importance of “barrier gestures”
As for hospitalizations, they totaled 18,972. Even with this lull, the circulation of the virus is “still very active”, warns the public health agency, however, encouraging people at risk – over 60 years old, in particular – to do their booster vaccination.
In addition, “barrier gestures, in particular the wearing of a mask, remain necessary to protect the elderly or at risk of complications”, insists Public Health France. At the end of October, the Committee for monitoring and anticipating health risks (Covars) also recommended the return to wearing a mask in transport and closed places. Again, without going so far as to encourage the return of the obligation.