Wearing Masks Should Be Required at Medical Facilities

I came across this excellent article at The Sick Times today and wish everyone could read it and wear a mask, especially in doctors' offices and waiting rooms. It's not that hard.

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We need masks in healthcare. Now.
By Tesla Bellina-Gustafson, 4-24-26

"Last month I passed out while getting my blood drawn. I woke up with both phlebotomists inches away from my face, and, to my horror, my 3M Aura had been taken off. It had been removed without my consent, presumably to check if my lips were turning blue. No one else in the lab, including the technicians, wore a mask, save for one other patient in a surgical mask.

"As a person with Long COVID, losing consciousness was a terrifying experience made worse by a potential exposure risk. I quickly put my mask back on and thankfully managed to escape unscathed. But this experience reinforced how much power healthcare providers have over those in their care.

"I often bring N95s with me to medical appointments, especially if I will be in a room with a specialist for a long time. This is not ideal for multiple reasons. It can get quite costly and I have to call reception ahead of time to check if the physician will be amenable to the request — which comes with the risk of discrimination or a blanket diagnosis of anxiety. It would be ridiculous if I needed to bring my own hand soap to an appointment and remind my doctors to wash their hands before a physical examination, and yet it has become my responsibility to manage my care in this way.

"Sometimes I get lucky and the specialist will happily don their own mask. But nine times out of ten I am coldly reminded that “masking is no longer mandated.” When it is mandated, staff are often outfitted in loose-fitting surgical masks slung beneath their nose or chin. During a recent visit to the dermatologist, I handed the assistant a 3M Aura. She reluctantly accepted it but had no idea how to navigate the head strap or nose wire, or how to check for fit. I had to coach her through it.

"The onus should not be on patients to provide adequate PPE to the health professionals charged with their care. Nor should we have to beg for safer environments. People with compromised immune systems should be able to access healthcare without fear of leaving the facility with another infection. All healthcare facilities should require masking: It benefits everyone and protects both patients and healthcare workers from the continued risk of Long COVID. 

"Campaigns from organizations such as DoNoHarm BC in British Columbia, Canada, and Senior and Disability Action in California are raising awareness and calling for year-round mask protections. I’ve personally participated in grassroots campaigns with DoNoHarm BC in the past. By using a fact-based approach and making clear, actionable demands, they’ve moved the needle on reintroducing masks in healthcare settings. 

"Prior to 2020, masks were commonplace in healthcare settings, particularly during surgery, as they were designed to stop droplets from entering into open wounds. However, surgical masks do not provide a reliable level of protection from aerosolized particles due to their looser fit, whereas respirator masks such as headstrap N95s significantly reduce infections in healthcare settings. In one recent study, researchers found SARS-CoV-2 in 39% of hospital air samples during outbreaks, even though the facility had good air filtration — making the need for widespread masking even more urgent.

"Some Canadian provinces have adopted a “seasonal” approach with mandating masking, reintroducing them for “respiratory illness season.” This is contrary to how COVID-19 actually spreads, with waves of infection all year round. Not to mention that masks also protect people from other airborne viruses, such as measles; Canada recently lost its elimination status after 27 years of keeping the virus in check, and the U.S. may soon, too.

"Waiting for an infectious illness surge before implementing preventive measures is as effective as waiting to put on your seat belt until after a car crash. 

"Generally speaking, patients have an expectation that when they visit a healthcare setting, they will leave in better shape than when they came in. However, many people end up with healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). In the U.S., roughly 1 in 31 hospital patients has at least one HAI on any given day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HAIs range from antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to pneumonia. 

"Accurate reporting on SARS-CoV-2 infections transmitted in healthcare settings is hard to find, if it is published at all. The CDC does not track COVID-19 as an official HAI at the federal level. In Canada, 70 hospitals participate in a viral respiratory infection program, tracking HAIs weekly. Healthcare-acquired COVID-19 infections increased after Canadian provinces ended their mask mandates throughout 2022.

Healthcare-acquired COVID-19 infections increased after Canadian provinces ended their mask mandates throughout 2022. Chart from the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, data through April 2026.

"A few scientific studies have found severe outcomes from hospital-acquired COVID-19 cases, further demonstrating the risk of letting it spread without precautionary measures. One 2023 study in Helsinki, Finland, concluded that hospital-acquired COVID-19 was linked to high mortality, and another 2022 study in Quebec, Canada, found hospital-acquired cases led to higher mortality than in community-acquired cases, especially in young people. 

"Year-round required masking is good for healthcare workers, too. A 2025 review study found that 40% of healthcare workers globally have experienced Long COVID. So why don’t healthcare workers mask? Some might argue that masks are expensive, but that makes little sense when workplace-illness claims, staff shortages, healthcare-acquired infections, and Long COVID all cost far more. One study suggests healthcare workers wearing N95 masks could save $1 billion USD per year in healthcare spending. Healthcare administrators could also address other common concerns, like the waste from disposable masks and comfort of long-term wearing.

"Personally, I find it challenging to put my faith in healthcare workers to give me accurate and reliable medical advice when they are choosing to not protect themselves or their patients. Many healthcare workers do not understand how COVID-19 is spread or that many infections are asymptomatic. On average, it takes 14 to 17 years for new medical knowledge to become common practice. In the meantime, patients are left on our own to educate the experts we are expected to trust, on top of the power imbalance.

"But that could change: what we consider the “norm” in modern medicine is actually pretty recent, and it changes all the time. The practice of handwashing and sanitizing in medical settings is less than 200 years old — and that was stigmatized, too.

"DoNoHarm BC began as many grassroots organizations do: turning feelings into action. Several British Columbian residents reacting with outrage to the removal of mask mandates led to a protest outside of the health minister’s office in 2023. From there, it has evolved to include campaigns to improve vaccine and treatment access, weigh in on provincial budgets, and help shape laws with accessibility at the forefront. 

"Masking in healthcare remains the priority. After pressure via phone calls, faxes, and emails, lawmakers reinstated the mask mandate in healthcare settings for two consecutive years, though respirators were unfortunately not the default. Through campaigning, DoNoHarm BC also secured a $3 billion commitment from the BC government to continue funding for pandemic-related health measures, and managed to get Paxlovid covered for high-risk patients. 

"During the successful 2024 Keep Masks in Healthcare campaign, participants sent more than 18,000 letters to lawmakers. There is an incredible power in numbers: it may seem like one person can’t make a difference, but banding together as a collective voice works. For example, DoNoHarm BC signed on to one letter along with over 1,700 healthcare workers, scientists, engineers, occupational health specialists, advocates, and major unions calling for improved, evidence-based mask use in healthcare as standard practice.

"For those interested in starting an organization like DoNoHarm BC, here are tips from the organizers:

1. Look for existing advocacy groups in your area. You may be able to learn from them or form a coalition.
    
2. Identify your primary target (e.g., a particular institution or leader) with the most influence on the issue.
    
3. Develop an understanding of the barriers to change. A lot of the “work” is actually pretty boring, like reading existing policies and processes to know how to best shape them going forward.
    
4. Utilize the media wisely. Use a template to help you get started.
    
5. Make your actions as easy as possible. Many participants are disabled or suffering from chronic conditions, so using platforms such as Action Network makes getting involved take very little capacity.

"Masking in healthcare settings should be the norm all year round. I dream of a future where masks are normalized and I can access healthcare spaces without the increased risk of breathing in a new issue to contend with. Advocating for myself as a patient is challenging enough as it is."

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Tesla Bellina-Gustafson is an advocate and longhauler based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She has organized with various groups including DoNoHarm BC and Vancouver Still Cares.