Canada’s chief public health officer on Wednesday urged couples to wear masks during sex to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
“Sex can be complicated in the time of COVID-19, especially for those without an intimate partner in their household or whose sexual partner is at higher risk for COVID-19,” Theresa Tam said in a statement.
“The lowest-risk sexual activity during COVID-19 involves yourself alone,” she added.
But those having sex with a partner who is at risk or from outside their household should be “skipping kissing and avoiding face-to-face contact or closeness [and] consider using a mask that covers the nose and mouth.”
Tam said people should also limit their consumption of alcohol or “other substances so you and your partner[s] are able to make safe decisions.”
She said there was a “very low likelihood” of transmission of the new coronavirus through semen or vaginal fluids. But she still urged condom use.
The number of COVID-19 cases rose on Wednesday to 129,705, including 9,171 deaths. Almost 90 percent of the people who fell sick have recovered.