On November 4, the Västerbotten Region decided to increase the use of mouth guards by healthcare staff at the hospitals in Umeå and Skellefteå.

This means that those who visit the hospitals will meet staff who wear mouth guards in most wards.

Previously, the staff and visitors to accommodation in Umeå had mouth protection, now it has also been introduced in Skellefteå.

- It happens that you can infect someone with covid-19 before you get symptoms, even if it is unusual.

One way to try to reduce that risk is to use a surgical mouth guard, says Anders Johansson, hygienist at Norrland University Hospital.



The reason for the rapid introduction of mouth guards for staff in the care professions is the recent increased spread of infection in society.

But despite the clear strategy for reducing the risk of infection spreading in healthcare, there are no such recommendations for the public.

- There has been a lot of discussion in Sweden and as far as I know there is no such plan, says Johansson.



In the clip above, you hear what the hygienist himself thinks about the question of whether the public should wear mouth guards or not.