Face coverings for COVID-19: from medical intervention to social practice
Helene-Mari with face covering
New research by Helene-Mari Van Der Westhuizen, (DPhil in Primary Health Care, 2018) from The Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, has brought a different perspective on face coverings.
In the BMJ Analysis article ‘Face coverings for covid-19: from medical intervention to social practice’, Helene-Mari and colleagues including fellow Green Templeton student Koot Kotze (DPhil in Primary Health Care, 2018) and Senior Research Fellow Trish Greenhalgh, Professor (Clinical) of Primary Care Health Sciences, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, argue that face coverings should be considered not as medical equipment but as a social practice informed by norms and expectations.
Whether the public should or should not wear masks to prevent the spread of covid-19 has been subject to prolonged debate. In places where it has been hotly contested, subsequent implementation has been much harder, particularly where it has become polarised through the social meanings attached with wearing a mask. Countries with an existing practise of wearing masks, like Japan and South Korea, had a much smoother implementation process.
They explain that “wearing face coverings is being rapidly introduced as a public health intervention in countries with no cultural tradition of doing so. Given that social practices are deeply held and passionately defended, we hypothesise that uptake of face coverings is likely to be advanced by downplaying the medical narrative about “standards,” “donning and doffing,” “decontamination,” and “risk.” For successful uptake, face coverings need to be grounded in the social and cultural realities of affected communities.”
Helene-Mari also spoke to BBC Breakfast about the use of face coverings and how their uptake in the UK has changed over the past month. According to ongoing polls, between 12 July and 12 August the use of face coverings in public has increased from 38% to 75%.
Helene-Mari and co-authors conclude that instead of continuing to debate face covering technical specifications and efficacy, the sociocultural framings should be explored to encourage their use. “This can be done by emphasising underlying values such as solidarity and communal safety. Such measures are likely to enhance the uptake of face coverings and help curb the devastating impact of the pandemic.”
