From May 15, in Poland, it is no longer necessary to wear masks in the open. Numerous research results show that the risk of virus transmission in the open air is minimal. However, only under certain conditions. When is it possible to catch coronavirus outdoors? The expert explains.
- From May 15, the obligation to cover the mouth and nose will be abolished
- We had to wear the masks from October 10. It was unacceptable to cover the face with scarves, chimneys, scarves or helmets
- Dr Grażyna Cholewińska-Szymańska, a Mazovian infectious disease consultant in an interview with Radio Zet explained that in certain situations the lack of an outdoor mask can be disastrous
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
When can COVID-19 be caught outdoors? The expert explains
It is virtually impossible to contract the coronavirus while walking alone in the park. Therefore, experts in Poland have long suggested that the obligation to cover the mouth and nose in the open air should be lifted. Let us remind you that it started operating in our country on October 10, 2020. Since then, citizens who did not have a mask or wore it incorrectly could be fined.
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Dr Grażyna Cholewicka-Szymańska, a Mazovian infectious disease consultant, in an interview with Radio Zet confirmed that in some situations outside wearing a mask is not necessary.
– If one person walks in the park with a dog, he does not need to wear a mask anymore. Because the aerosols in the open space are so thinned that actually this mask does not matter – said Dr. Grażyna Cholewińska-Szymańska.
The expert noted, however, that outdoor activity is often associated with social interactions. And then the situation changes dramatically.
– If a group of seven teenagers is sitting on a bench in the same park and they jump at each other, talk loudly and sing, they still have a high risk of contamination from each other – explained Dr. Cholewińska-Szymańska.
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Among the high-risk situations, if we do not have a face mask on, there is, for example, standing in a queue for ice cream or simply being in more crowded places. And when it gets warmer outside, there is no shortage of them. Especially that in the near term we have further easing of restrictions, including opening of restaurant gardens.
– We become infected by inhaling aerosols that surround us. If in our close vicinity someone releases these sprays with the virus, we have a chance to absorb it – said Dr. Cholewińska-Szymańska. – I will give an example from last year from the United States, where one choir participant infected 53 people, despite the fact that the choir was singing in the open air – noted the consultant for infectious diseases in Mazovia.
Outdoor masks may therefore be unnecessary, as long as we adapt to the principles of social distancing. When it comes to closer contact with other people, the risk of coronavirus transmission increases significantly. Even outside.
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- UK Coronavirus Variant – Five Things You Need to Know
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