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Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2020

Tuesday, 22 September 2020

Ceisteanna (696)

Seán Canney

Ceist:

696. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if his Department has carried out quantitative health risk assessments on the use of face masks; if so, if the results of those assessments are available to the public; if he has sought advice on the wearing of face coverings outside of the advice issued by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24728/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I can assure the Deputy that the public health advice relating to Covid-19 is kept under continuing review by the NPHET. Ireland is guided by the advice, guidance and protocols of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The expert guidance of the ECDC in particular is based upon consideration of the circumstances arising in the European Union and globally. The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) reviews these international developments as part of its overall examination of the evolving epidemiology of the disease.

Face masks aim to reduce the spread of infection by acting as a source control to stop the spread of infection by the person wearing the mask (including those who do not know they are infected) or to protect the wearer from droplet splashes or inhaling airborne contaminants including small (aerosol) and large particle droplets. Mask grades include respirators (classified as PPE designed to also protect against aerosols), medical face masks and non-medical facemasks. Since the start of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the use of face masks by persons going out in public has been recommended by an increasing number of countries. In Ireland, cloth face coverings are recommended in situations where physical distancing may not be possible, and are mandatory on public transport and in shops and other retail outlets. The current advice regarding face coverings, including the circumstances in which it is mandatory to wear a face covering, is available at http://www.gov.ie/facecoverings/

To inform national efforts in response to COVID-19, HIQA is developing evidence summaries to answer specific research questions posed by the NPHET. The HIQA evidence summary on the use of face masks in the community, dated 21 August 2020 and available on its website at https://www.hiqa.ie/sites/default/files/2020-08/Evidence-summary-face-masks-in-the-community.pdf, considered all relevant studies from 1 January 2000 to 24 June 2020. It identifies that national and international public health guidance on the wearing of facemasks is based on low certainty direct evidence of clinical effectiveness and indirect evidence that supports the effectiveness of face masks. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 appears to be more infectious than many other respiratory pathogens studied, highlighting the necessity of considering a range of infection prevention control measures, including face masks, to reduce the spread of infection.

As I am sure the Deputy can appreciate, the evidence relating to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the decisions necessary to protect everybody living in Ireland from its effects is constantly evolving. The international evidence and guidance on this issue continues to be kept under review by the NPHET, by my Department and by the Government.

It is not possible to say what circumstances will apply in the future due to the nature of the virus that has caused this global pandemic and the concerns that remain about the very serious threats to health that can be caused by this virus.

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