A major shift is taking shape to start 2026.
1) BMJ: Europe’s Top Doctors Urge WHO to Make Respirators the Standard in ALL Healthcare Settings
In a Jan 9, 2026 report, The BMJ writes that doctors, scientists, and public health experts are urging WHO to recommend respirators “in every encounter in all healthcare settings.” The experts are calling for WHO guidance to shift so respirators are standard, “not just during outbreaks or high risk procedures.”
They also warn that policies allowing routine care in surgical masks (or none) are “scientifically indefensible” and “dangerous.” And they make the stakes very clear: current policy leaves staff and patients exposed to “preventable and potentially even lethal risk.” The direction is clear: modern infection prevention must reflect the reality of airborne exposure risks faced by healthcare workers every day. As the experts put it, “It would be a profound but easily accommodated change,” especially in healthcare settings which “represent a crucible of disease transmission.”
2) Canada (CSA): similar policy and standards modernization is underway
Canada is going through similar policy change considerations, increasingly led by CSA respiratory protection standards modernization, including expectations that support:
- respirators as the default throughout healthcare facilities (unless a qualified, detailed risk assessment exempts certain spaces due to engineered risk reduction)
- minimum protection aligned with CA-N95 / NIOSH N95
- the importance of fit, comfort, breathability, sizing options, training, and long-wear practicality
Should these policy and standards directions continue, is your organization prepared with a system that can consistently meet the new baseline? Book a meeting and find out how Canada Masq built a market ready product system that supports these exact issues and receive cost-free evaluation products for your staff without purchase commitment.