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Soon, the whole world has introduced mouth guards in different shapes. Some require it in public indoor environments, others even outdoors. Public transportation is considered an important place to wear mouth and nose protection. Pasi Pohjola, director of the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, said Thursday that it is good for as many people as possible to wear mouth guards because they slow down the infection.
Why does Sweden choose to go its own way?
– We continue working based on the idea that the most important thing is to keep our distance. There is a lot to say about mouth guards. We can see that in many countries with very strict mouth protection rules, there is after all a wide spread of infection, so believing that mouth protection should be the rescue is probably dangerous, says Anders Tegnell.
Tegnell: It’s hard to say that something is going in the right direction
Mandatory mouth protection was introduced in Italy to anyone who stays outside on October 8. A week later, the number of confirmed infections per day had doubled and another week later it had doubled again. Today, the number of infections is ten times higher per day compared to the beginning of October and the number of deaths per day is one hundred times higher.
In Belgium, the requirement was removed on October 1, except in contexts where it was impossible to maintain a physical distance from others. Nowadays, it is a requirement to wear mouth guards on shopping streets, shops and where many people live.
It is not easy to wear a mouth guard in a good way. He puts them on and takes them off very often.
Despite this, the spread of the infection has risen from 1,337 on October 1 to 16,915 a month later and the death toll on October 15 to triple-digit deaths in early November.
What speaks of mouth protection and what speaks against mouth protection?
– What speaks against it is that there is not much data that speaks for it. It is not easy to wear a mouth guard in a good way. He puts them on and takes them off very often. Things that health workers don’t know are a good way to handle a mouth guard. It could even increase the risks of spreading the infection. Then there is the cost of mouth protection. If you have to change your mouth guard every three to four hours, it will be quite a cost for the individual. And mouth guards don’t send the signal to keep distance.
– What speaks in favor of oral protection is that in theoretical models it reduces a little the risk of you infecting another. If you use them correctly and all the time. But it is best to stay home if you have symptoms.
Anders Tegnell also believes that it can be difficult to wear mouth guards where the infection is most prevalent, at home and in the workplace:
– Wearing a mouth guard at home I think is not feasible, at least not in Sweden. It is probably also questionable in most workplaces. What has been proven in many countries is mouth protection in public transport. But it doesn’t seem to have had much of an effect. The spread of the infection is still widespread in these countries. The most important thing is to keep your distance and stay home if you are sick.
Why don’t you think it would help with public transport in Sweden?
– In part, this is not where we have the spread of the infection and if you talk to those who drive public transport, it is a very small proportion of all traffic where there is congestion.
But many countries have such rules.
– Yes, but we also see countries where the infection is significantly more explosive than in Sweden despite the mouth guards.
– Now, it should not be said that the spread is due to mouth guards because there is much more that comes into play. But the introduction of mouth guards will not radically change the situation.
Do you see any chance that Sweden can withstand the pressure from abroad? Can introducing requirements for oral protection really make the situation worse?
– I think the debate on oral protection has diminished. We have a great consensus among those who work with hygiene care in Sweden, it is not just the Public Health Agency that is referring to this.
