To wear or not to wear a face mask is a hot topic of conversation since the coronavirus outbreak. For weeks, the public health message has been that most people don’t need to wear masks. The only people who could use a face mask are those who are sick, are homecare givers for someone who is sick, and those who are frontline healthcare workers.
However, with Covid-19 continuing to have an impact on the world, the best way to slow the spread of transmission seems to be by encouraging the general public to wear face masks. A growing number of health and medical experts believe the benefits masks could offer to not only prevent people from infecting one another, but also to reduce overall transmission in the community. This, in turn, can lower the number of emerging cases and help to “flatten the curve”.
Wearing a mask is observed to be five-times as effective in protecting you from the coronavirus than if you were not wearing one at all. The argument to broaden the use of face masks stems from the idea of transmission from people who are infected but show no symptoms. What this means is that many people could be asymptomatic but still be carriers of the disease and unknowingly spread the virus. People who are infected can transmit the virus as long as two days or 48 hours before showing any symptoms. This explains how rapidly the virus is spreading.
On top of washing your hands and practicing social distancing, more people should start wearing a mask, irrespective of their condition and age group, as it would act as an additional layer of protection for when or if you decide to step out. Additionally, wearing a mask as sort of a shield for your face would prevent you from constantly touching your face which could again make you prone to contracting the disease. It is advised to resist reaching for your mouth and nose under the mask.
To normalize wearing masks during the current situation, would also mean as a step towards doing away with the stigma attached to wearing or seeing someone else don a mask. The perception that masks are only worn by people who are sick or infected can draw unwanted attention, making them feel like the odd one out. It is important to understand that mask wearing should not only be seen as a medical decision, but also as a tool of protection and prevention. If you have a mask on, regardless of whether you are infected or not, you could break the transmission chain off which could help save a lot of people.
That being said, it is also not recommended for you to use a medical mask, like N95 masks used by healthcare professionals since they are already short in supply.
Instead, people can make use of non-medical masks or even homemade “do-it-yourself” (DIY) masks using a cloth or a handkerchief or even a T-shirt. Worn correctly, these work in the same way- preventing infectious droplets spewing from one person to another. Materials like scarves and shawls also works. It is important to practice correct hygiene while handling a face mask, i.e. cleaning and/or washing the mask, disposing it after use or if it gets moist and not letting someone touch the mask.
With appropriate government regulations on the need to wear masks, the “mask movement” will not only help in controlling new cases but also provide employment to people in NGO’s and other organizations involved in producing of face masks- giving leverage to save the plummeting economy.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have also issued a statement to revisit their mask wearing policy. Other preventive measures encouraged to help stop the spread of coronavirus are practicing social distancing- to not stand within six feet of another person, staying at home, avoid mass gatherings, washing hands regularly, and to inform your healthcare facilities if you’re experiencing symptoms.
