Coronavirus: To mask or not? Key concerns as Centre eases mask rule during air travel

On Wednesday, the Centre eased the mask rule during air travel which was in practice since the onset of the COVID pandemic. The Centre's decision comes at the time when cases of COVID continue to decrease in the country.

India recorded 635 COVID cases on Wednesday. A decrease of 386 cases has been recorded in the active COVID caseload in the last 24 hours.

The reduction in COVID cases need not be a sign to take a detour from following COVID safety rules. One should never drop guards against the virus with the false assumption that the virus is getting milder day by day.

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In a communication to the scheduled airlines, the civil aviation ministry on Wednesday said that use of masks during air travel should not be made compulsory.

"... the in-flight announcements henceforth may only mention that in view of the threat posed by COVID-19, all passengers should preferably use mask/face covers," the communication said.

The official communication also said that any specific reference to fines need not be announced as part of the in-flight announcements.

Until now, masks and face covers were mandatory in flights.

The Centre's order, however, asks people to preferably use face masks while traveling in flight, domestic or international.

Now, the onus is on people on how they would like to implement the COVID safety measures.

COVID is spread through close personal contacts. The coronavirus enters a healthy individual through air droplets released, through sneezing, breathing, speaking and coughing, from the mouth of an infected person.

It is therefore prudent to follow preventive measures where lots of people are present.

"Wearing masks anyhow do not have any side effects or complications as such, thus it should be a decision of the individual from within to protect themselves, their families and the nation in preventing the rise of yet another epidemic," says Dr. Rajan Sharma, Past National President, Indian Medical Association.

"Though the relaxation measures taken by the GOI, seems to be an ease of burden for the public, yet in the post COVID era, many people have involuntarily developed a declined immunity levels and are prone to minor infections which have the maximum chances of spread," he adds as a warning message.

Citing reports of infections spreading through multi-country travel, Dr Sharma says, "after the recent decision by the centre, wearing masks in fights is no longer a mandate, yet the benefits of wearing masks are still undisputed. We have seen a recent trend of various infections being spread (unintentionally) by passengers with multiple country travel history. Thus, in order to prevent any further COVID like pandemic situation, masks can still be worn as a preventive and precautionary measure."

In this line Dr. Viswesvaran Balasubramanian, Consultant Interventional Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine, Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad says, the guidelines on mandatory mask wearing during flight travel has been relaxed. Though the number of active COVID 19 infections are drastically low , sporadic cases are still observed. Aircraft being a closed space , chance of transmission of infection continues to remain high amongst flight travellers, more so for long duration flights.

"In addition, airports being extremely crowded especially during these times, it is prudent to wear mask atleast amongst vulnerable populations like those with low immune status like elderly, diabetic, chronic kidney disorder patients and others who are immunocompromised or on medications which alter the immune status," he adds.

Aircraft cabins are enclosed areas and the transmission of COVID depends on "duration of the flights, contact points, proximity, and movement of passengers," says a research report.

"The risk of respiratory transmission is heightened when people move around each other, especially in cases when they are in frequent contact with other people, such as in public transport," the report.

However, several other studies have confirmed that the air quality of the cabin is good, which reduces the risk of transmitting respiratory viruses on the aircraft.

Until a few months before, air travel was strictly restricted in view of COVID pandemic.

Passengers had to wear masks prior to boarding the flight till deboarding the same. Along with this, passengers had to submit complete and factual information in self-declaration form, and upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report.

Passengers were also asked to give an undertaking on the portal or otherwise to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, through concerned airlines before they are allowed to undertake the journey that they would abide by the decision of the appropriate government authority to undergo home/ institutional quarantine/ self-health monitoring, as warranted.