Authorities are increasingly recommending that citizens return to wearing a mask.

Authorities in several regions announced the resumption of the mask regime. This time it is designed to stop the spread of not only coronavirus, but also ARVI and influenza. However, for now this measure is advisory in nature and is being introduced only in healthcare institutions. Previously, mandatory wearing of masks was returned in the Government House of the Russian Federation, also due to an increase in the incidence of respiratory infections. Experts say that during a period of epidemic growth, the introduction of a mask regime “would be justified,” and personal hygiene and precautionary measures should become part of people’s practice “at the level of common sense.”

Rospotrebnadzor said on Tuesday that it does not yet plan to introduce restrictive measures in Russia due to the coronavirus, despite the fact that over the past week the incidence has increased by 48%, to 11.5 thousand cases. The proportion of people hospitalized during the same time increased by 20%. Rospotrebnadzor explained this increase due to seasonality: “In the autumn, an increase in influenza, ARVI and COVID-19 diseases is recorded. This is due to the colder weather and the fact that people return from vacation, schoolchildren from vacation, and spend a lot of time in groups where there is an active exchange of infections.” However, the sanitary service clarified that restrictions of a “local nature for a certain period” may be introduced in individual institutions.

Employees of the Russian government were the first to take advantage of this opportunity. The White House, “due to the seasonal increase in the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections, influenza and COVID-19,” introduced mandatory wearing of masks and reminded of the importance of using hand sanitizers. The government emphasized that temporary restrictions should help maintain a favorable epidemiological situation.

Then, the authorities of some regions announced a mandatory or recommended mask regime in healthcare organizations. Thus, the head of the Tula Ministry of Health, Mikhail Malishevsky, said that the mask regime for visitors and staff is in effect in all medical institutions in the region, but so far only in advisory form. Several clinics and hospitals in Tyumen advise wearing a mask due to the surge in ARVI, local media report. Chairman of the Pskov Region Health Committee Marina Garashchenko said that mandatory wearing of personal protective equipment will be returned to hospitals in the region. In the Saratov region, only hospital medical staff must wear masks. The Ministry of Health of the Perm Territory recommended that the chief doctors of clinics and hospitals introduce a mask regime in medical institutions in order to “avoid a large-scale epidemic of ARVI and coronavirus.”

The authorities of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, due to the increase in the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza, also decided to return the requirement to wear masks in all hospitals in the region. In addition, they introduced an entry filter for patients and visitors: measuring body temperature, treating hands with antiseptics. The measures were explained by the worsening epidemiological situation: according to the Rospotrebnadzor department for Yugra, 162 cases of COVID-19 were registered over the last week – an increase of 57.3% from last week. The incidence of ARVI and influenza is higher than the epidemic threshold by 34.2%, among schoolchildren 7–14 years old – by 31.1%.

In the Irkutsk region, Rospotrebnadzor specialists “continue to carry out a set of measures aimed at preventing the spread of the new coronavirus infection,” the regional department told Kommersant. At the city airport, management employees “carry out round-the-clock sanitary and quarantine monitoring of the condition of arriving passengers and crews of international flights, including conducting remote thermometry.” Since the beginning of 2023, 1,134 international flights have been inspected as part of sanitary and quarantine control.

A number of Moscow healthcare institutions have also introduced a mask regime, eyewitnesses report on social networks. However, the capital’s Department of Health did not comment on this information. There is only one anti-coronavirus restriction in force in St. Petersburg: at the end of August, city governor Alexander Beglov extended the ban on holding rallies, demonstrations, pickets and other public events without approval. Mandatory wearing of masks in public places was abolished back in May last year. Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 residents of St. Petersburg almost doubled during the week from September 11 to 17: from 638 (September 4–10) to 1,130 people, according to the report of the operational headquarters for combating the infection.

Associate Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases in Children, Russian National Research Medical University named after. N.I. Pirogova Ivan Konovalov says that the season for the transmission of respiratory infections is “expectedly” beginning in Russia. Therefore, he calls the decision of some regions to reintroduce mandatory wearing of masks in hospitals “absolutely justified.” A mask can reduce the incidence of infection transmission – if both medical staff and patients wear it, the doctor clarifies.

Infectious disease specialist at the Doctis telemedicine service Tatyana Kogut adds that new strains of coronavirus are indeed more contagious than they were at the beginning of the pandemic, but at the same time less dangerous. “However, if precautions are not taken, the incidence will increase rapidly and pose a danger to people with chronic diseases, who are always more vulnerable to viral infections,” says Ms. Kogut. She emphasizes that the pandemic situation has shown the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical measures – mask regime, social distancing, washing and sanitizing hands. “These measures really reduce the incidence of respiratory infections,” continues the infectious disease specialist. “This is confirmed by the fact that in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, other viral infections, including influenza, significantly reduced their frequency, their incidence decreased significantly. Therefore, during a period of epidemic growth, the introduction of a mask regime would be justified. In addition, I think that personal hygiene and precautionary measures should already be part of people’s practice at the level of common sense: when the incidence rate increases, you can simply put on a mask in the subway or in a store, thereby reducing the likelihood of your own infection.”

However, the head physician of the Leader Medicine clinic, infectious disease specialist Evgeniy Timakov, believes that there is no reason yet to oblige Russians to wear masks in crowded places. The increase in incidence, he notes, is not so intense, so calling what is happening another wave “would be unfounded.” In addition, according to Mr. Timakov, people will still not comply with the mask regime – “this is an uncontrolled process that does not have the proper effectiveness.” Among other measures that can prevent the spread of infections, Ivan Konovalov points out timely immunization of the population against influenza and the possible update of the vaccine against coronavirus infection with its further use.

Natalia Kostarnova, Karina Sergeeva; regional corset “Kommersant”