How to go masked in a maskless world
Some handy advice on handling anxiety, peer pressure and judgment post-mandate
In less than two weeks, Ontarians will no longer have to mask up in most public spaces. For those who think the decision comes too soon, the idea of continuing to mask in a maskless world feels a little fraught, and it’s one the province’s top doctor says needs to be approached with tolerance.
“As a society I am asking that we remain kind, considerate and respectful towards those who continue to choose to wear a mask,” chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore said Wednesday as he announced plans to lift Ontario’s mask mandate.
The Star spoke to physicians and mental health experts about how to navigate this next stage of the pandemic, when wearing a mask will be an individual choice.
Who will choose to mask and where?
For some people, the decision will be easy. For the immunocompromised, the thought of not wearing a mask in public spaces has become unfathomable, especially as the risk of catching the highly transmissible Omicron variant still looms.
“We need to approach this with empathy and compassion. Some people might not be ready to take off their masks because they’re at risk of more severe infection or going home to someone who is highrisk or maybe they’re just not ready,” said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Toronto.
Bogoch said there’s no prescriptive answer for when someone should or should not wear a mask.
“It’s no big secret where COVID is transmitted. We know it’s mostly transmitted indoors, especially in close, crowded and confined settings,” Bogoch said, adding “those are the kind of areas where people may choose to continue to wear masks.”
At Wednesday’s news conference, when asked about his own risk assessment, Moore said he won’t wear a mask outdoors but will likely wear one in the Eaton Centre or in busy big-box stores.
For now, Ontario will continue to mandate masking in health-care settings, long-term-care homes and on transit. That will end on April 27.
How to deal with anxiety
For two years, Canada’s public health officials stressed the importance of social distancing and masking in public spaces to prevent community spread of COVID-19 and protect loved ones. Wearing a mask has become a way of life.
So it is normal that people will feel anxious and stressed in the transition to living with the virus, says Steven Taylor, a professor and clinical psychologist at the University of British Columbia, who has written a book on the psychology of pandemics.
Dr. Shimi Kaur Kang, a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s psychiatry department, recommends some coping strategies, including mindfulness and slowing down breathing; calling or bringing along a friend or family member to situations that may be overwhelming, like shopping at a grocery store where lots of people might be unmasked; and trying to lighten up the activity by, for example, playing soothing music.
How to confront peer pressure?
Kang expects there will be many scenarios where people will feel pressure to take off their masks before they are ready, especially among kids at school, in the workplace or at intimate gatherings.
For kids who might experience bullying at school, Kang said they should remove themselves from the situation and get help or in extreme cases, call the police if needed.
Kang said it’s important for everyone not to be reactive and approach the situation with a sense of calmness and curiosity. Having a practised script and talking points ready about why they are choosing to wear a mask should help, Kang said.
“Ask questions like, what is it about my mask that makes you so angry?” Kang said.