Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer says if you are not sick, you shouldn’t have a mask on.
Dr. Theresa Tam says we need to ensure that frontline healthcare workers have enough protective equipment.
Dr. Tam says not only that but in terms of public use, current evidence suggests that if you do not have symptoms a mask causes more contact between your face and the outside of the mask which could be contaminated. She says if the public wants to use this measure they have to be very careful when taking it off.
Dr. Tam updated the state of COVID-19 testing in Canada. She says tests must be done to the right person at the right time. She adds how well you swab a sample can also be critical to the testing process. Nevertheless, she reaffirmed that the test currently being used by Canadian authorities is specific and sensitive despite longer wait times.
Dr. Tam added that new testing methods are being looked at by Public Health Canada to see if they can be validated for accuracy.