Masks compulsory for young people: Who how what where?

Who has to wear a mask and where?

Young people aged 12 and over must wear a mask. This is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). The same cantonal regulations apply as for adults.
The situation is different just after the border: In most federal states in Germany and France, for example, masks are compulsory for children from the age of six.

What are the reasons why a young person does not have to wear a mask?

Prof. Dr Christoph Aebi, Head of the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Department of the Children's Hospital at Inselspital Bern, says: «There are no medical reasons why a girl or boy older than 12 should not wear a mask. Exceptions can be made in the case of disabled adolescents or adolescents who suffer from severe anxiety and are afraid of suffocating, for example. The concern that too little oxygen is transported to the brain when wearing a mask or that allergies and fungal diseases can develop is unfounded. Statements to this effect are simply wrong. In this respect, there are few reasons why a young person should not wear a mask.»
According to a study on the safety and comfort of children's masks by the American National Institute of Health, children wearing masks may well experience a partial build-up of CO2. However, the German paediatrician Herbert Renz-Polster also writes on his website www.kinder-verstehen.de that, at least with short-term use of the masks, this backlog appears to be so small that it does not disrupt physical regulation or even oxygen uptake, at least in schoolchildren.

Does the mask have to be worn at all times during school lessons?

Since the latest resolutions of the Federal Council, teachers and pupils aged 12 and over, which normally applies to lower secondary level from Year 7, must wear a mask in the classroom and in all indoor and outdoor areas. As school buildings are considered public spaces, the obligation to wear a mask also applies to parents or older siblings aged 12 and over. The obligation to wear a mask applies to the entire school grounds, including the playground.

Mask situation at the schools

What is the level of acceptance among young people?

«The upper school pupils see the current coronavirus situation as sufficiently threatening and are complying with the school management's instructions,» says Franziska Peterhans, Central Secretary of the Swiss Teachers' Association (LCH). «It is occasionally the adults, i.e. parents who pick up their children from school, who we have to remind of the obligation to wear masks on school grounds.»

What happens if a pupil does not wear the mask?

«The young people always come to school wearing a mask,» says Franziska Peterhans and: «If this is not the case, they are given a mask by the school - masks are part of the school.»

We keep hearing that young people have difficulty concentrating when they have to wear a mask all day. Is that true?

Wearing a mask for eight hours in class is an unusual situation. «It's clearly an unpleasant situation, but at the moment it's the lesser of two evils,» adds Franziska Peterhans. That's why it's important that pupils take breaks from wearing masks while adhering to the protection concept. For example, when they are alone somewhere, the Central Secretary continues.

Will younger children soon have to wear a mask in Switzerland too?

In certain countries such as France, for example, younger children are also required to wear a mask. This is despite the fact that the current state of scientific knowledge is that children under the age of 12 are less likely to spread the coronavirus and are also less likely to fall ill if they do catch it. There is a certain amount of «uncertainty regarding the obligation for younger children to wear masks», says Franziska Peterhans. «In the current situation, the health of the population comes first, even though we know that children are not drivers of the virus. The guidelines of the FOPH and the cantons are essential for schools.»

Children quickly get used to new situations, including teachers wearing masks. But isn't something lost in the interaction if children and young people can't see the facial expressions and perhaps find it harder to understand the teacher because they can't see the lip movements?

The current situation is a challenge for everyone and teachers are making every effort to ensure that they can motivate and engage pupils emotionally and intellectually in class, even when they are wearing masks. «In foreign languages and German lessons for foreign-language children and young people, for example, the mask situation is anything but ideal, we are aware of that,» says Franziska Peterhans. And masks are currently the safer option than transparent visors.

Singing is also being cancelled at many schools. That's a shame, says the Central Secretary. And yet: it is more important that children can continue to go to school so that «measures such as not singing are enforced correctly».

«From my own experience, I would say that you get used to the mask when you're out and about with friends and people you know,» says family counsellor Caroline Märki from familylab.ch and: «We know the facial expressions of our friends. It's more difficult with strangers, it's unsettling if you can't see the other person's face.»

Do you prefer distance learning to lessons with a mask?

In several cantons, petitions have been launched by secondary school pupils and/or vocational students in favour of a return to distance learning. The petitions are not primarily motivated by the wearing of masks, but by fear of infection. There are repeated cases of coronavirus, especially at secondary schools, and teachers or pupils have to go into quarantine.
Digital expert and secondary school teacher Philippe Wampfler says: "In principle, I think it makes sense to switch to distance learning immediately at upper secondary level - I would have liked to have started after the autumn holidays. The schools are ready and the conditions are right. Nobody really understands why the directors of education are opposing it: It would be an economically unproblematic, pragmatic measure.

Teaching with masks does not pose any major problems. You don't always understand the pupils straight away and you have to keep reminding some of them to wear the masks correctly. Apart from that, the measures don't interfere with lessons, the young people get used to them very quickly and have a high level of discipline when wearing them."

Good to know

Types of masks:
Young people can wear the same masks as adults, i.e. approved disposable and fabric masks. Cloth masks are available in different sizes, even for smaller children.

Use:
The disposable mask should only be used once. Cloth or other reusable masks, on the other hand, can be used several times. According to the FOPH, the disposable mask should be changed every four hours or when it feels damp. How often other masks can be washed or sterilised is indicated on the packaging.

Storage:
It is important that the insides of the mask are on top of each other. They should also be folded horizontally so that the metal frame is not damaged. Air-permeable containers such as a cloth bag or envelope are suitable for storage.

Sources and further information on wearing a mask correctly: Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH)

What are your experiences with masks in the family? What do your children say about lessons with teachers wearing masks, how do your teenagers feel? We look forward to hearing from you, either anonymously as a comment or by e-mail: online (at) fritzundfraenzi.ch

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