Their answers came in response to a parliamentary question by MP Jeff Engelen from the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr), who enquired, among other things, about the effectiveness of cotton masks, how often people should change their masks, and whether the wearing of masks had any negative side effects.
Cotton masks are indeed less effective than surgical masks, but they are still preferable to no protection.
The Minister of Health pointed out that there is scientific evidence that wearing a mask, combined with the necessary physical distance, stops the transmission of the virus. With regard to duration, it is recommended not to wear the same mask for more than four hours and to change it if it is wet. Furthermore, there are no scientific indications that the masks could cause problems with bacteria or fungi.
The adr-MP also wanted to know whether any measures were planned for employees who had to do physically demanding work while wearing a mask. The Minister of Labour agreed that it was not pleasant to have to work with a mask, but he expressed surprise over the fact that the MP thought that this could be a problem in the catering, construction, and education sectors, since masks had been used for over 100 years in the medical sector. The minister pointed out that healthcare professionals wore masks for hours on end and did physically strenuous work, and there had never been any problems. It was therefore not expected that specific labour law provisions would now come into play.
To date, there are no studies on the impact of the use of masks on children or the elderly, the Minister for Family Affairs' reply stated. The ministers also stressed that it was possible that, as a result of the current crisis, it may become more socially acceptable in the future to wear a mask on a voluntary basis in some cases. However, it was not expected that the obligation to wear a mask would be maintained in the long term.
