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9 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 28 APRIL 2021 NEWS ANALYSIS JAMES DEBONO 33% of vulnerable people feel anxious when people around them wear their mask under their nose, fearing that this puts their life in danger while 65% are annoyed at the lack of concern for others. Among all respondents including those who are not vulnerable 23% feel anxious fearing that others not wearing their masks properly puts them at risk while 71% feel annoyed at the lack of concern for others. Only 5% feel indifferent. The online survey was based on 990 re- plies to an online questionnaire was carried out in September 2020 a month before the wearing of masks became mandatory . The results have been published in the journal Xjenza in an article penned by soci- ologist Gillian Martin, Maria Desira, Chris- tina Zarb. The survey held a month before the wear- ing of masks became mandatory showed wide compliance with health authorities directives. When asked about wearing face cover- ings, almost all stated that they wear a face mask as directed by the Superintendent for Public Health: 96.7% of respondents replied they always do, 2.8% replied sometimes and 0.5% said they never did. When asked how they feel about people around them wearing face masks, 94% of re- spondents claimed they felt more comfort- able when face masks are worn in enclosed public spaces, with this percentage going down to 79% in outdoor public spaces. The very small minority who declared they did not wear masks justified this by questioning the usefulness of wearing a mask in the first place, with a handful of individuals going as far as questioning the existence of a pandemic at all. But the survey also reveals some miscon- ceptions on mask wearing. 29% of respondents in a 990 strong on- line survey mistakenly believed that wear- ing a mask reduces the amount of oxygen breathed in. 47% thought that it has no ef- fect while 24% were not sure. The authors of the study warn that this belief could lead to non-compliance in the wearing of a face- mask or anxiety when indeed wearing one. Another mistaken belief emerging from the survey was that visors offer as much protection as a facemask, with this belief being strongest among the vulnerable 65- 74 age group where 23.3% believed the vi- sor offers the same amount of protection as a mask and 3.6% believe that visors offer more protection. The survey was held a month before health authorities publicly stated that masks are more effective than visors. The survey also explores the impact of wearing masks on everyday life communi- cation and work experience. 50% of women in the 55 to 64 years brack- et experienced problems with breathing with a mask on. One possible explanation for this according to the authors, could be the impact of menopausal hot flushes. 11% of respondents said that they find it harder to breathe with a mask on in en- closed, small spaces such as lifts, cars, buses etc.—all areas where risk of transmission by droplet infection is high. When asked about the effect of wearing a mask on communicating with others, 31% said it makes it harder to communicate, 59% said it sometimes makes it harder, while 10% said it doesn't make it more dif- ficult. A total of 592 respondents (60% of sam- ple) indicated that they wear a mask at work ,with 65% of these saying they do so for long periods of time, or constantly. Of these, 302 respondents indicated that wearing a mask at work always, or some- times, impacts on their performance. 143 respondents felt that that could not do their job effectively whilst wearing a mask as they claim that it hinders communica- tion. Difficulty with projecting one's voice, difficulty with properly hearing and under- standing what colleagues, students, clients or customers say and the loss of nonverbal communication through facial expressions were the three key issues which participants flagged. A few participants mentioned that the in- ability to communicate effectively impacts their mental wellbeing as they end up feel- ing isolated with one respondent claiming that "it creates a sense of isolation, a re- stricted freedom". Participants also mentioned that masks not only impede communication, but might also lead to miscommunication. Some participants referred to challenge of speaking a foreign language from behind a mask referring to increasing problems be- cause of their pronunciation and decreased opportunity for using facial expressions. Several who work in education argued that wearing a mask has a negative impact on teaching and learning since masks cov- er facial expressions which are crucial in pedagogy. Furthermore, educators also felt uncomfortable that their students cannot read their expressions, as this makes the student-teacher relationship detached and less personal. The authors note that while the survey shows "overall compliance to public health directives" the findings, in particular those exposing mistaken beliefs, barriers in com- munication, anxiety levels and discomfort, may help the authorities "identify areas of potential breakdown of safe practices where focused science communication would be beneficial in the general arena". One of the limitation of the survey iden- tified by the authors was that individuals taking up the invitation to participate in the survey are more likely to be aware of public health issues than the general population. 33% of COVID-19 vulnerable people feel anxious when others wear their mask under their nose while 65% feel annoyed • 29% of all respondents in online survey mistakenly believe that wearing mask reduces supply of oxygen while 27% of older people mistakenly believe that visors are as effective as masks Improper mask wearing makes the vulnerable anxious