In a piece for the Hindustan Times, Dr Reuben Abraham, CEO, Artha Global, and Dr Lancelot Pinto, Visiting Senior Fellow, Artha Global, reflect on the way forward to curb airborne transmission of COVID-19 as Mumbai drops its mask mandates.
Excerpts below:
“Those who are forced to use a mask because of a mandate often wear it in ways which are unlikely to protect – loosely, under the nose, on the chin, or with frequent touching of the mask. There is enough anecdotal evidence around us that such individuals possibly constituted the majority, even in the middle of surges, and it reflects the lack of a good communications strategy regarding proper mask use.”
“So what does mandatory masking actually do? It leads to imposition of fines, policing citizens for what should be a health policy issue and discrimination among individuals for behaviors that they are expected to pay out-of-pocket for. It also led to utterly irrational policies such as mandating masks within private vehicles and in open spaces. Meanwhile, crowded indoor spaces, where masking is likely to be most useful, were often exempt.”
Read the full article here.
