The use of masks has been a hot topic since the start of the pandemic in China in December.
Geneva, Switzerland:
The World Health Organization changed its advice on face masks in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, saying they should be worn in places where the virus is widespread and physical distance is difficult.
The use of masks has been a hot topic since the start of the pandemic in China in December.
“Given the evolving evidence, WHO advises governments to encourage the general public to wear masks where transmission is prevalent and where physical distance is difficult,” said the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
In areas where the virus is transmitted at community level, “we advise people aged 60 years or more, or the people behind it, to wear a medical mask in situations where physical distance is not possible” , he added.
But the United Nations health agency has stressed that face masks alone “won’t protect you from COVID-19” – and people with the virus should not be in public if they can avoid it.
WHO maintained its recommendation that sick people with symptoms of COVID-19 should stay at home and if it is absolutely necessary for them or their contacts to leave the house, they should wear a medical mask.
As before, those caring for an infected person at home should wear a medical mask when in the same room; and health workers should wear medical masks and protective equipment when dealing with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients.
But in an update for healthcare professionals, the WHO now recommends that in areas where the virus is common, everyone working in the clinical sections of a healthcare facility should wear medical masks – not just those who deal with patients with COVID-19.
Three-layer face mask
WHO has also published new guidelines on the composition of non-medical cloth masks for the general public, recommending that they should be made of at least three layers of different materials.
The inner layer should be made of a water-absorbent material like cotton, the middle layer – which acts as a filter – from a material like non-woven polypropylene, while the outer layer should be a tough material with water such as polyester.
WHO emergency director Michael Ryan stressed that putting on a cloth mask is primarily about preventing the wearer from infecting others, rather than protecting himself.
“It is an altruistic act,” he said.
And Tedros stressed that masks are only part of an effective strategy to remove the virus – and should not lure people into a false sense of security.
He said they are not a substitute for physical distance and hand hygiene.
“Find, isolate, test and take care of each case, and trace and quarantine each contact. This is what we know is effective. It is each country’s best defense against COVID-19.”
The new coronavirus has infected at least 6.7 million people and killed more than 390,000 since the first outbreak of the epidemic in China in December, according to a count of official sources compiled by AFP.
(This story has not been edited by GalacticGaming staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
