COVID-19: Managing Face Mask Misconception

Over 50 countries across the world have mandated wearing face masks in public. People wear them to protect themselves and others from catching the coronavirus that spread across nations of the world.

As the pandemic continues, the face mask looks unlikely to leave anytime soon. Given that reality, it might also be a case of learning to adjust to this for everyone.

There is also a need to acertain the effectiveness of using the face mask. For instance, if healthcare workers wear surgical masks, there is good evidence that it limits the spread of respiratory viral infections in hospitals but there is no clear evidence that surgical masks protect members of the public from getting or passing on these sorts of infections most likely because of incorrect use.

Surgical masks are made up of several layers of non-woven plastic and can effectively filter very small particles, such as droplets of  COVID-19. The masks typically contain an external waterproof layer and an internal absorbent layer.

Although, masks used by the general public in Nigeria are made from scarves, T-shirts or other fabrics but can’t provide the same level of protection and durability as surgical masks, they can block some of the large droplets exhaled by the wearer.

Multi-layered cloth masks are better at filtering but harder to breathe through, a problem that could lead to cancer of the lungs as people breathe in carbondioxide instead of oxygen.

The question we need to ask is not so much whether cloth masks offer as good a protection as surgical masks but the benefits of using the face mask if truly it helps in reducing the spread of the pandemic.

When deciding if a safety measure is worth introducing at scale, it’s important to balance any benefits against potential harms.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says masks could provide “a barrier for potentially infectious droplets” in areas where “physical distancing of at least one metre is not possible”.

Meanwhile, home made cloth face coverings can help reduce the spread from people who are contagious but have no symptoms or are yet to develop symptoms.

MMS Plus observed through a detailed report that most citizens careless about the virus and the essence or usage of the mask. For example, most commercial bus drivers enforce passengers to put on  face mask before boarding but the emphasis is to avoid being Intercepted by the Police.

People care less on the purpose of the face mask as they put it on just to get access to bus to their destinations.

Although there have been reports that wearing face masks for an extended time can impair breathing or even be poisonous with excess intake of carbondioxide, such postulations are wrong if the breathable materials recommended for face masks are worn. The appropriate masks worn properly won’t inhibit your breathing.

Stay safe!