Many Canadians confused about how to safely wear masks and face coverings: survey
Published September 30, 2020 at 11:41 pm
With bylaws in place requiring face coverings across Ontario, residents have been donning masks to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while performing necessary daily tasks.
However, a recent survey found many Canadians are unsure about how to properly wear their masks.
A recent survey conducted by Maru Blue found the majority of Canadians are confused about which masks are most effective at protecting themselves and others.
Based on the findings, 65 per cent of Canadians said they wear a disposable mask four to 10 times before disposing of it—something that is not advised by health officials.
Additionally, 52 per cent of respondents said they were confused regarding which types of masks and face coverings are safe—84 per cent said they believed masks sold online and in stores were safe and effective, but according to Saif Altimimi, MedyKits.com CEO and founder, counterfeit and expired masks are flooding the market.
Further, 76 per cent of Canadians believe it’s more important to wear a disposable mask as opposed to a cloth mask—disposable medical masks can filter out up to 95% of smaller, inhaled particles.
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However, 88 per cent of Canadians believe any face coverings are better than no face coverings.
“The survey reveals that after seven months of living with COVID-19 and a potential second wave on the way, Canadians are still confused over how to safely mask up,” Altimimi said in a news release.
“When it comes to PPE, it’s the wild west. Medykits.com was founded to satisfy the unprecedented need for authenticated, Health Canada approved masks to Canadians at a fair price. With so many options ranging from homemade masks to medical masks to N95’s and an influx of counterfeit options, staying safe can be a challenge and it’s our business to stay ahead of that,” he continued.
Moreover, the majority of Canadians are wearing a mask not because they have to, but to keep themselves and others safe—75 per cent said they wear a mask to stop the spread of the virus, while only 19 per cent said they do so only because it’s required.
Of those who refuse to wear masks, most are men; six per cent of men said they refused to wear masks, compared to three per cent of women—27 per cent of men who don’t wear masks say they don’t because it’s a violation of their freedom, while only 18 per cent of women feel this way.
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