WHO updates advice on wearing masks in the fight against coronavirus
Israelis have been required to wear them in public spaces since early April. Not wearing masks in these settings is punishable by fine.
By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMANA person wearing a face mask and gloves adjusts glasses while taking photos of the Hollywood sign after a partial reopening of Los Angeles hiking trails during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 9, 2020(photo credit: REUTERS)
The World Health Organization is now advising that the public wear masks where social distancing is not possible, such as on public transportation or when working or living in cramped quarters.Previously, WHO argued that there was not enough evidence to require healthy people to wear masks.Israelis have been required to wear them in public spaces since early April. Not wearing masks in these settings is punishable by fine.“I wish to be very clear that the guidance we are publishing today is an update to what we have been saying for months: That masks should only ever be used as part of a comprehensive strategy in the fight against COVID-19,” WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday during a press briefing.“In light of evolving evidence, WHO advises that governments should encourage the general public to wear masks where there is widespread transmission and physical distancing is difficult, such as on public transport, in shops or other confined or crowded environments.”The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is primarily transmitted between people via respiratory droplets and contact routes, a 16-page WHO report published the same day explained, noting that droplet transmission can only occur if people come within one meter of each other.Exposure occurs “through coughing, sneezing or very close personal contact resulting in the inoculation of entry portals such as the mouth, nose or conjunctivae (eyes),” the report says. It notes that it is exceedingly rare and only in specific cases that airborne transmission of the coronavirus may be possible.Tedros said that the public does not need medical-grade masks but can wear fabric, instead. However, the new guidelines recommend these masks be made of at least three layers of different fabrics.Older people or those with pre-existing medical conditions are advised to wear medical grade masks.The organization has always advised medical personnel and sick patients to wear masks.The report cautioned that “use of a mask alone is insufficient to provide an adequate level of protection or source control, and other personal and community-level measures should also be adopted.”These include good hygiene and physical distancing, as recommended by the Health Ministry.It also noted that masks can lead to a “potential increased risk of self-contamination due to the manipulation of a face mask and subsequently touching eyes with contaminated hands,” and that people can contaminate themselves if they do not change masks regularly. Moreover, it said that masks could lead to headaches or breathing issues for some people, among other complications.
