Mandatory use of mask on subways and trains drops – 02/03/2023 – Health

The use of a mask on the subway, trains and intercity buses in the state of São Paulo will no longer be mandatory as of this Friday (3).

Thus, its use is now recommended, especially for specific risk audiences, such as people over 65 years of age, with immunodeficiency, comorbidities and respiratory symptoms.

“The decision is in line with that of Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) in releasing the use of the item in ports and airports in the country, announced this week”, said the state government in a note, this Thursday (2).

The government said it monitors the evolution of the pandemic on a daily basis based on case and hospitalization indicators. According to the state administration, the indicators, so far, do not suggest that there has been a significant increase in cases of Covid-19 due to the Carnival festivities.

In addition, the government of São Paulo highlighted the high rates of vaccination. Until this Thursday (2), more than 129.5 million doses were applied in the state, which means that 90.7% of the population over six months of age have a complete vaccination schedule.

Sought, the São Paulo City Hall did not say whether the measure will also be applied to buses. The decision of the Government of São Paulo is released a day after Anvisa removed the mandatory use of a mask on planes and airports in Brazil.

The use of masks ceased to be mandatory on planes and airports on August 17 of last year, becoming just a recommendation. But in November, the item was once again required in these environments.

The protective capacity of the masks varies according to the type of material used and the weave. A study carried out by USP evaluated the filtering efficiency of different types of masks sold in Brazil and found that N95 or PFF2 masks are the most indicated, with efficiency above 98%, followed by TNT or surgical masks (between 80% and 90% %) and, finally, cloth fur, with an average of 40%. Knitting masks, with open weaves or synthetic fabrics such as lycra and microfiber are not effective in protecting (around 15%).

According to a study published in the American journal PNAS in January 2021, the mass use of masks as a measure to control community transmission of the virus is scientifically proven.

More recently, three studies, two evaluating community use of masks (in the general population) and one within a hospital setting, have shown that masks significantly reduce the number of cases indoors compared to places where people did not use them (49 % reduction). Another study found a 40% reduction in cases in people who wore the masks for at least one day when having interactions with other people.