Convincing your loved ones to mask up
Discussions should focus on education and clear communication
Masks have become a go-to topic of conversation and debate for many, as Torontonians begin to leave their homes, as businesses in the city begin to reopen.
While many see mask-wearing as a must, others feel like they don’t need to for a variety of reasons. When I reached out to my social network to open the conversation, many said the same few points: Hardly anyone is wearing one/It won’t protect me, it just protects the other people/I’m in good health/We keep our distance so don’t need it/I can barely breath/It’s too hot/I forgot mine. One woman admitted her husband refuses to wear one because he thinks it’s a conspiracy.
Another Toronto woman shared a screen grab her boomer father-in-law posted in the family’s group text, that shares “the dangers of face masks,” with inaccurate and extreme information.
It looked like a meme he grabbed from the internet, with a picture of an alleged doctor in a lab coat next to it, and it said things like: “Mask is supposed to be used for a limited time. If you wear it for a long time: Oxygen to the blood reduces. Oxygen to the brain reduces. You start feeling weak. May lead to death.” So there’s that.
So what do you do if you’re worried a loved one is not using a mask when social distancing is not possible? Communication and knowing the facts is key.
“In having conversations with our senior population, the key to eliciting their support of universal masking, is ensuring their freedom of choice,” said Jen McNeil, national clinical educator at Amica Senior Lifestyles. She says discussions need to be centred around education.
“Through education, we are providing our loved ones with the information they need to make choices about their own health and safety, and to understand the responsibility we all share to protect those around us from the spread of COVID-19,” McNeil said.
In regards to tone, she says openness and collaboration are key. She says when sharing best practice guidelines and recommendations regarding the use of masks, it is also important to have conversations regarding the senior’s ability to tolerate wearing a mask.
“A couple of key considerations include seniors who may have breathing difficulties, or those who may have feelings of anxiety or unease with having a mask on their face,” McNeil said. “To sum up a key message around universal masking for seniors — and all of us: wearing a mask when physical distancing cannot be maintained is a measure you can take to help protect yourself and others,” McNeil said.
“Providing seniors with tips to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in a community setting is very important,” McNeil said.
The framework of masking is that COVID spreads by droplets.
“If you cough or speak, droplets come out of your mouth and they land on surfaces, and people may touch them and then put their hands on their face or mouth, and then catch it,” Dr. Michael Warner, head of the intensive care unit at the Michael Garron Hospital said.
He explained it’s all about protecting each other for each other.
“This whole thing is about collectivism so you don’t kill them by passing COVID when you’re asymptomatic or presymptomatic,” Warner said.
His current COVID patients in the ICU range from 30-70 years old. He says he’s more stressed about his risk of getting COVID when he’s getting a tank of gas or going to a grocery store than he is being in the hospital with patients because everyone in the hospital is required to wear a mask.
“There’s nothing more dangerous you can do than going to do a task where you interface in the public. The best you can do is physically distance and wear a nonmedical mask or face cover,” Warner said. “By wearing a mask in public, you protect each other. It’s a virtuous circle where everyone is protected. You will then protect your grandkids, adult children, spouse and whoever is in your non-distance bubble.”
Wearing a non-surgical mask is recommended by the Ontario government as an added safety measure, but isn’t mandated. Warner says universal masking should be mandated.
“If everyone wore a mask this would be much better because in other countries COVID has been nipped in the bud through masking,” Warner said. “In North America, it needs to become socially acceptable. We need to make close encounters with people not wearing a mask the same thing like those who would walk into a store or business smoking a cigarette.
“The way to make this happen is through peer pressure. It has to become part of our culture and that’s how you enforce it,” Warner added. “We can’t count on the public health-care infrastructure to get us through this. We have to save ourselves and this (masking) is a great way for people to control themselves. This is a community effort. If everyone wears a mask, we are all protected. If other people don’t and you do, it is still better than not wearing one yourself.”
When he does his morning runs, or takes his kids for a walk, he doesn’t wear a mask because he keeps his physical distance and is outdoors. He says if you’re just walking around and not in close proximity to people, wearing a mask isn’t necessary.
It’s fine not to wear one when going out of the house and walking on the streets, as long as you maintain your distance.
Wearing a mask applies to all people, not just those that are older or have diseases that put them at higher risk, said Dr. Michael Detsky, an ICU doctor at Mount Sinai Hospital.
“The data on how effective masks are at preventing infections suggest that this will reduce the risk, but not eliminate it. People still need to be vigilant about hand washing and physical distancing,” Detsky said.
“People also have to understand that it is not just about living or dying, people who get critically ill and end up on a ventilator are both at high risk to die, and if they survive, at high risk to experience long-term complications. These long-term complications include difficulty with thinking, post-traumatic stress and persistent weakness.”
“This whole thing is about collectivism so you don’t kill they by passing COVID when your are asymptomatic or symptomatic.”
DR. MICHAEL WARNER HEAD OF THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AT THE MICHAEL GARRON HOSPITAL