Aadi Asks Mayor Nenshi a Covid-19 Question
Way to go, Aadi!
. Here’s the interview:
Mayor Nenshi: Let’s go to another question from another great Calgary kid.
Aadi: Hello Mayor Nenshi, my name is Aadi. I am 9 years old. I have a question. When I go outside with my family for a walk, should we all wear cloth masks when we go outside? Also, how long does the coronavirus stay on a cloth surface? Thank you Mayor.
Mayor Nenshi: Thank you for asking that question Aadi. This is actually a very controversial subject. Lots of people have debates back and forth about it. The advice here in Alberta is that you can wear a cloth face covering if you go outside, if you think you’re going to be surrounded by other people. Now the cloth face covering doesn’t really save you from getting the virus, but it helps you from passing it on to other people. So I think it’s totally fine to wear that kind of a face covering when you go out. I think it’s a ‘better safe than sorry’ thing, and it’s a good thing to do. Now as for how long the coronavirus lasts on cloth, we don’t actually know the answer to that. We generally know that the coronavirus lives longer on hard surfaces than on soft ones. Except interestingly, for aluminum and copper, which seem to have the virus die more quickly. But it can last on cardboard for about a day. It can last on plastic for a couple of days. We don’t really know how long it lasts on fabric, but it does make sense to wash your masks after you use them. Thanks for the question.