Masks are helpful in the prevention of the spread of COVID-19, but they should be used with discretion, according to Amar Fettle, State nodal officer for H1N1 and Corona.
“Masks are good in closed spaces or where there are a number of people in a limited space, like in a shop or a lift or a relatively crowded building. But, if you are in a wide open space, there is no general need to wear a mask,” said Dr. Fettle.
A recent article in medical journal The Lancet had called for the rational use of face masks.
Surgical masks
“Surgical masks are disposable. Wear them only if you are currently ill with COVID-19 or have fever or respiratory symptoms whatsoever, travelling to a hospital for a COVID test, or are caring for someone at home who cannot wear a mask,” Dr. Fettle advised.
Advocating the wide use of cloth face masks, which could be made at home from common materials, he said they would lower the risk of people without symptoms transmitting respiratory germs. Dr. Fettle advised against the use of cloth face masks on children under the age of two, people who had trouble breathing, people who were unconscious, or people who were unable to remove the mask on their own.
He said the N95 respirator which could also filter out 95% of very small particles, including viruses and bacteria, should be ideally reserved for health-care workers and first responders.
General advice on the use of masks, dos and don’ts and FAQs are available on the websites of the Directorate of Health Services, Kerala, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and National Centre for Disease Control.
