Debate (#NL) over face covering or not. On #RIVM/#OMT's advice, @MinPres and @hugodejonge from @MinVWS have unequivocally told us that there is little conclusive evidence (agree) and masks do not work (do not agree).
Great @bmj_latest article, a summary:
bmj.com/content/370/bm…
Face masks have been framed largely as a medical intervention.
Many countries/agencies now mandate/recommend masks against #covid19.
Narrative of face masks as a medical intervention ignores the social practice of this act, and the behaviours associated with it.
Masks as medical intervention (1/2):
Almost all evidence comes from healthcare facilities and addresses the efficacy in protecting the wearer from infection, not as source control.
Using evidence based from healthcare and using it to address community settings? Apples and Oranges
Masks as medical intervention (2/2):
Medical narratives are based on randomised studies (RCTs) and controlled experiements.
Community health measures rarely have RCTs available. Plus, may not be ethical to conduct.
Wearing a mask now, is seeing rapid introduction in countries with no such cultural tradition of doing so.
"For successful uptake, such interventions need to be grounded in social, cultural practices and realities of affected communities.
Campaigns for face coverings:
Campaigns should inform and reflect the times and community needs.
For a face mask policy to work, negative depictions (and stigmatisation) of "social meaning and moral worth of face coverings" need to be actively reframed.
Aim of face coverings?:
REMEMBER, main purpose of face coverings by the public is source control.
Campaign ideas?
- Wearers are altruistic, "saviours"?
- Look at @sanquin and their campaign to recruit blood donors and how they portrait them?
- "Moral worth" of face masks needs to be reframed!
Authors key messages:
- Face masks widely recommended.
- Face masks more than a medical intervention, this narrative doesn't apply in a community setting.
- Policies to encourage uptake should reflect the complex sociocultural meanings and draw on these to promote their use.
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