When can I wear my mask? remove? Experts explain in detail the points for each scene

From the 13th, it will be up to the individual to decide whether to wear a mask indoors or outdoors.

There is no uniform standard, and it will be the basis from now on that whether or not to wear a mask is an individual decision.

But when should we decide when to wear a mask and when to remove it?

In some cases, the government and experts, such as medical institutions, will continue to recommend wearing them.

One of the experts calls out, "Think about wearing a mask out of consideration for those around you."

We have put together in Q & A format about the points of wearing judgment.

Wearing a mask From today, it is up to individual judgment [updated from time to time]

The point of review is...

The point of this review is that the country or experts do not recommend wearing it for each specific detailed situation, but decide whether to wear it based on "individual judgment".

What kind of thinking should we make?

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare provides an example of the way of thinking.

Q1.When is it better to wear it?

A.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has called on the public to "be careful in the following cases", showing their thoughts on situations such as situations where wearing is effective and situations where wearing is recommended.

[Three occasions to call for wearing]

1. When visiting a medical institution

2. When visiting a medical institution or facility for the elderly

3. When riding a crowded train or bus, such as during commuter rush hour

The reason for 1 and 2 is that many people with a high risk of becoming seriously ill, such as the elderly, are hospitalized and live there.

3 is because people are crowded and there is a possibility that people with a high risk of becoming seriously ill are riding together.

However, buses in which most of the passengers can be seated (Shinkansen, commuter liners, highway buses, charter buses, etc.) are excluded.

This is based on the premise that ventilation measures are taken, and the reason is that the scene where you are sitting in an orderly manner does not hit the congestion.

[Wear a mask to protect yourself]

In addition, elderly people, people with underlying diseases such as cancer, and people who are at high risk of severe illness, such as pregnant women, should wear a mask when going to crowded places during the epidemic. I find it effective to wear.

[Employees of medical institutions and elderly facilities should wear masks while working]

In addition, it is recommended that employees of medical institutions and elderly facilities, where there are many people at high risk of becoming seriously ill, wear masks while working. .

Q2. What if I have symptoms such as a cough?

What if I am diagnosed with COVID-19?

A.

1 If you have symptoms

2 If you test positive for COVID-19 3 If

someone in your household tests

positive

increase.

On top of that, if you have no choice but to go out for hospital visits, etc., you are being asked to avoid crowds and wear a mask.

Q3. Do you ever ask for a mask at work or when you go out?

A.

It is possible that your workplace may require you to wear a mask, or the facility or store you visit may require you to wear a mask on its own.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare says that it is permissible for businesses to ask users and employees to wear masks for infection control or business reasons.

In addition, we are calling on each industry group to review the guidelines for each industry and to inform the sites and users.

According to the Cabinet Office, 187 of the 195 industry-specific guidelines have been reviewed as of March 10.

Of these, the response that "as an industry group, leave it to the business operator's judgment" is the most common, and there are 153 guidelines such as hotels, professional baseball, and amusement parks.

On the other hand, there are some industries that stipulate uniform handling for business operators. There are 16 guidelines such as professional basketball.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare says, ``Please be careful not to force the person to put on or take off the mask against their will, and to respect the independent judgment of the individual.''

Q4. Should I wear it on an airplane?

A.Regarding

the wearing of a mask in an aircraft, the industry group "Scheduled Airlines Association" has said from March 13 that "it will be left to the judgment of passengers, employees, and individuals."

Since the 13th, the government has indicated that it will be acceptable to remove masks on aircraft, bullet trains, express buses, etc. where most of the passengers can be seated, and the `` Scheduled Airlines Association '' has decided based on this. increase.

On top of that, he said, ``We will continue to make preparations, such as revising the guidelines that have requested passengers to wear masks, and continue to make efforts so that customers can use them with peace of mind.'' increase.

Q5. Where is your school?

A.The

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has notified boards of education and other bodies nationwide of its basic policy not to ask students to wear masks during educational activities at schools from April onwards.

The notice states that educational activities at schools from April onwards will "basically not be required to wear masks", and "educational activities" include classes in general, including physical education, choruses, and sports club activities. is included.

As for graduation ceremonies, it is basically a rule not to wear a mask.

In addition, the number of guests and guardians who participate is said to be ``no need to limit infection control,'' and they are asked to wear masks and secure the distance between seats.

In addition, there are children who wish to wear masks due to various reasons such as underlying diseases, so it is recommended that schools do not force them to wear masks and provide appropriate guidance to prevent discrimination. I'm looking for

Q6. What are your thoughts on the expert meetings?

A.

Apart from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, members of the expert panel have also expressed their views.

First of all, it is important to ``wear a mask according to the situation,'' and ``carry a mask when you go out, and wear it when you are asked to wear it.''

On top of that, we would like you to consider the two risks of "the risk of being infected itself" and "the risk of becoming severe if you are infected or if you infect others", and make decisions while paying attention to the following points. I'm doing it.

1 Surrounding congestion

2 Space size

3 Time spent in place 4

Risk of

severe illness of people in front of you

5 Whether you are in an unspecified group

It is known that the risk of infection is high in environments where people are densely packed in such a small space, and the risk of infection is further increased by staying in such places for a long time.

In addition, the elderly and people with chronic diseases are at high risk of becoming seriously ill if infected, and more consideration is required in places where such people may be nearby, that is, in crowded public places where an unspecified number of people come and go. It is expected that

Q7.Are masks effective in preventing infection in the first place?

A.Members

of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's expert meeting present materials summarizing the scientific basis for mask effects.

According to the results, an analysis of 78 studies in each country on the effect of wearing a mask to prevent one's own infection showed that the weekly infection risk of mask wearers decreased by 0.84 times compared to those who did not wear masks. , It is estimated that it will decrease by 0.76 times in 2 weeks.

In addition, an analysis of 21 studies in each country on the effect of wearing a mask on preventing the spread of infection around the world showed that if the wearing of masks was recommended throughout the community, the number of new infections, the number of hospitalized patients, and the number of deaths would decrease. It has been suggested that it has a reducing effect.

In addition, a document compiled by members of the expert meeting and others quotes a study published in an international medical journal last year by a research group at Harvard University in the United States on the effects of masks.

In this study, we compared the infection status of children and teachers in schools in areas where the obligation to wear masks was lifted and schools in areas where masks were continued. 134.4 people out of 1,000 were infected, but in areas where they continued to wear masks, the number decreased to 66.1. I think it's an effective way to expand.

Q8. Will the infection spread during the first spring break or long holidays due to personal judgment?

A.A

group led by Professor Akimasa Hirata of Nagoya Institute of Technology is using AI (artificial intelligence) to create a single city in Tokyo, assuming that a highly contagious mutated virus will not appear and that the population will gradually return to pre-corona levels. We are calculating the number of infected people per day on a weekly average.

As a result, it was estimated that if 80% of people stopped wearing masks, the number of infected people would increase to about 8,600 per day in mid-May after the long holidays.

If 50% of the people continue to wear it, the number will be about 5,500, and it is estimated that a large-scale spread of infection can be avoided for the time being.

Professor Hirata said, ``Assuming that a certain number of people will continue to wear masks, it is unlikely that the infection will spread significantly for the time being. It is thought that high-risk activities such as eating and drinking will increase during the long holidays, and it is thought that the infection will spread to some extent after the long holidays. The infection can spread even in cities," he said.

Chairman Omi "Take care not to infect others"

We have introduced various ways of thinking that the government and experts have shown regarding the decision to wear masks.

Shigeru Omi, chairman of the government subcommittee, said at a press conference in February this year about entrusting the decision of wearing a mask to individuals, ``Regarding whether the government and experts need to wear masks in each situation. It is no longer appropriate to show 'raising and lowering chopsticks' in detail, and basically it is important to leave it to people's judgment and choice."

He added, "In Japan, where the population is aging, if clusters of infections spread among the elderly, many people will die. It is important to be considerate when deciding whether or not to wear a mask, as the elderly and people undergoing dialysis are at high risk of becoming seriously ill in places where an unspecified number of people gather. People should continue to consider wearing masks in situations where there is a high risk of infection, such as in crowded public transportation, where an unspecified number of people are present, where ventilation is poor, and where the risk of infection is high. I think so,” he said.

On the other hand, regarding situations where it is possible to decide to remove the virus, ``In a place where there are people you meet all the time, such as a company, there are only young people with a low risk of becoming seriously ill, and everyone is vaccinated. If there are no elderly people and no one is living with the elderly, I think we can decide that it is okay to relax a little.”

Professor Tateda "Think about wearing a mask out of compassion"

"It's important to consider your surroundings when making decisions," emphasizes Professor Kazuhiro Tateda of Toho University, who is a member of the government subcommittee on measures against the new coronavirus.

Q. Why is wearing a mask relaxed at this timing?

(Professor Tateda)

The new coronavirus, which was a completely unknown disease, has forced all citizens to wear masks.

However, the number of infected people has continued to decrease recently, and vaccines, therapeutic drugs, and tests can be received without inconvenience, and the death rate has been suppressed.

Right now, we are approaching the time to explore how to regain the daily life without masks.

However, the virus is still around us, and if we are not careful, there is a risk that a new epidemic will be born.

Q. What do you mean by "efficiently"?

(Professor Tateda)

Above all, be careful to protect people at high risk of becoming seriously ill.

In particular, please wear a mask in the following three situations.

▼ First of all, it is a scene where an unspecified number of people get close.

A typical example is a crowded train, but there is a risk that the elderly who are being treated with anticancer drugs may be sitting in front of them and the person standing in front of them may suddenly sneeze or cough and spread the infection. , wearing a mask is required.

▼ Next is a scene where you interact with patients at medical institutions, residents of elderly facilities, and people receiving home care.

If you know you will be in contact with people who are at high risk of becoming seriously ill, it is essential that you continue to wear them.

▼There are also people who wear masks all the time in their lives even if they look healthy.

In fact, there may be a chronic disease that no one knows.

Or maybe you live with an elderly person and don't want to bring the virus into your home.

If there are people like this, it is important for the people around them to be a little more considerate and wear a mask with a feeling of compassion.

I call it "sympathy mask etiquette", and I think that such habits will also become important.

Q. I don't want to get infected Some people don't want to remove it because of hay fever...

(Professor Tateda)

It is a completely natural idea.

According to an NHK public opinion poll, 50% of people answered that they would continue to wear masks (the survey was conducted in February 2023), but the figures are convincing and many people will continue to wear them for the time being. I think.

The important thing is that we don't always tell you to "take off your mask", but if you feel even a little worried about infection, there is no doubt that masks are effective in preventing and spreading the infection, so please keep wearing them. I think.

In fact, compared to other countries, especially the G7 countries, the number of infected people and deaths per capita is low, and the reason why Japan was able to survive this winter without causing a major flu epidemic is that many people wear masks. It is thought that it was great that they cooperated with

Also, although the number of infected people is decreasing, it is necessary to maintain infection control measures to the extent possible.

It is important for each person to think about the risks and take off when it is okay to remove the mask.

Q.Some people find it difficult to think about risks on their own.

(Professor Tateda)

Since it will be shifted to type 5, which is the same as seasonal influenza, I think it would be good if you could have an image of a little stronger countermeasures in addition to basically dealing with influenza.

Even before Corona, many people wore masks during the winter season to prevent influenza.

At that time, I think I was careful about people who coughed and sneezed, but now that I understand that there are risks when talking and eating in Corona, it is better to think about using a mask a little more frequently. I think.

I also don't wear a mask when it's not crowded, when I'm walking outside, or when there aren't many people in the room, but I always carry a mask in my pocket to meet crowded trains and customers. I wear it sometimes.

In that way, it would be better to imagine the risks and use masks in a way that reduces them.

Q.Even in the same scene, it seems that the judgment is divided depending on the person.

(Professor Tateda)

Certainly, there is a possibility that some people will say, "I don't want to wear a mask anymore," and refuse to wear a mask even in a scene where an unspecified number of people gather or even in a hospital.

I'm also a little worried about whether discrimination, prejudice, and slander will occur as a result of conflict between those who want to wear masks and those who want to remove them.

The key to avoiding such things is, after all, compassion.

Since wearing a mask is a personal decision, I think it is important to pay attention to how people around you behave and think about infectious diseases.