On Saturday, US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams urged people to stop buying face masks because he said they do not offer protection against the general public from catching the coronavirus.
He tweeted, “Seriously people — STOP BUYING MASKS!”
“They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if health care providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!” he added.
Dr. Adams’ plea came after innumerable people rushed to buy protective masks online, including the one that is called N95s. A surge in demand has led to price gouging and fake products in the market.
In another tweet, the Surgeon General wrote, “The best way to protect yourself and your community is with everyday preventive actions, like staying home when you are sick and washing hands with soap and water, to help slow the spread of respiratory illness. Get your #FluShot- fewer flu patients = more resources for #COVID19.”
Medical professionals across the world are urging people to stop buying facemasks if they are healthy and not taking care of a person who is infected by the coronavirus.
However, healthcare professionals need a large supply of protective masks because they are regularly in close contact with infected patients.
WHO’s Executive Director of the Health Emergency Program Dr. Michael Ryan said, “There are severe strains on protective equipment around the world. Our primary concern is to ensure that our front line health workers are protected and that they have the equipment they need to do their jobs.”
He explained that masks primarily prevent infected people from giving the infection to someone else.
“There are limits to how a mask can protect you from being infected,” Dr. Ryan added. “The most important thing everyone can do is wash your hands, keep your hands away from your face and observe very precise hygiene.”
Globally, COVID-19 has affected 89,081 and killed 3,057 people so far, with the vast majority of the cases reported in China. In the United States, the virus has sickened 87 and killed 2 people so far.
The new coronavirus strain is similar to the coronavirus strains of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). COVID-19 infection can be transmitted from a person to person through air droplets of sneezes and coughs.
The WHO has recommended healthcare professionals and workers to use surgical masks to cover their noses and mouths. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has instructed them to wear masks called N95s.
N95 masks are much thicker, fit more tightly around the nose and mouth, and block out tinier particles than surgical masks do.
However, some medical specialists say that these masks are generally not effective for average members of the public. They say people are more likely to contract the infection by touching contaminated surfaces rather than air droplets having the virus. They also said air droplets infected by the virus could trap around the edges of the masks.
Besides, most people do not know how to properly wear these masks. They may even contaminate themselves if they accidentally touch the outside of the mask and then touch their face.
Dr. Ryan said, “Not having a mask does not necessarily put you at any increased risk of contracting this disease.”
However. Dr. Adams’ message has not stopped the public from buying the masks, especially the N95 ones, which are cheap and popular among painters and construction workers.
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the masks must remain available for doctors and nurses because they are taking care of those who are affected by the coronavirus.
“There is no role for these masks in the community,” Dr. Redfield said. “These masks need to be prioritized for health care professionals that as part of their job are taking care of individuals.”
