Should masks be mandatory inside indoor public spaces? CBC asks Dr. Catherine Clase

The city has drafted a bylaw mandating that people wear masks indoors in public spaces, and Hamilton's board of health will vote on it Friday.

Join our Facebook Live Thursday at noon when the CBC's Conrad Collaco speaks with Dr. Catherine Clase, an associate professor of medicine at McMaster University and anephrologist at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. She and her team looked through a century of research on cloth masks to find out how effective they have been in the past.

They found, Clase said, that while there's no perfect face covering, masks with a layer of flannel sandwiched between muslin were extremely effective. Cotton was also found to be a strong material. Multiple layers of cloth seem to even be enough.

Where should people be wearing masks? Do you believe what experts like Dr. Clase are saying about the importance and effectiveness of masks in fighting COVID-19? If not, why not? If you aren't wearing a mask when you go grocery shopping or inside other public spaces tell us why?

Let us know in the box below, the comments section on this page, by email at Hamilton@cbc.ca or on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. We'll put your questions and comments to Dr. Clase on Thursday at noon.