– These are serious questions – VG

The court order in Oslo on the use of face masks on public transport and indoors in public places if one cannot stay one meter away, was one of the topics during tonight’s “Debate” on NRK.

In a question addressed to the leader of the Oslo city council, Raymond Johansen, Solvang says that the National Institute of Public Health in March and throughout the summer has not recommended the use of face masks.

– FHI actually says there is a weak scientific basis for recommending face masks, says Solvang.

This prompted Health Minister Bent Høie to speak:

– It is very important for me to emphasize this, because people can have a different impression when they listen to you now. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has recommended all the mouth bandages and the Oslo rules that now apply, Høie says.

– They say there is a weak scientific basis. I spoke to them today, Solvang responds.

– Fredrik, you cannot create uncertainty about this. These are serious questions. The National Institute of Public Health is behind all the muzzle rules in Oslo. Dot, says Høie.

– But they say there is a weak scientific basis, Solvang repeats.

– You should not give the impression that the National Institute of Public Health does not recommend such rules, says Høie.

– You shouldn’t pretend that researchers around the world agree with masks, Solvang adds, before Høie interrupts and repeats for the last time:

– It is incredibly important that you do not give the impression that the National Institute of Public Health does not recommend these measures in Oslo.

The National Institute of Public Health writes in its recommendations related to masks that in some situations in which it is impossible to stay within a meter of others, masks are recommended as an additional measure to prevent infection of people with covid-19 without symptoms when there is a further spread of infection.

FHI writes that there is evidence that medical bandages can have a protective effect against the spread of respiratory infections. At the same time, they write that research results vary widely.

For face masks to have a measurable effect, many people must wear masks with a low prevalence of infection, according to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health:

– With 100 new cases of infection in Norway in a week, 200,000 people must wear face masks in society for a week to prevent a new case. If the prevalence increases to 1,000 cases in a week, only 20,000 will have to wear masks for a week to prevent a new case, they write.

In Oslo, 788 cases of infection have been recorded during the last two weeks, according to VG figures.

FHI emphasizes that distance is the most important factor in preventing infection.

A distance of one meter or more reduces the risk of infection by about 80 percent. The mouthpieces used in the population have only an infection reduction of about 40 percent, it is indicated in the mouthpiece recommendations.

VG has contacted FHI for comment, but has not yet received a response. Fredrik Solvang does not want to comment on the case.