A statement issued by both the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) and the Ministry of Health yesterday asserted that cloth coverings made of woven fabrics may only offer limited protection against droplets.
Kebs insisted that currently, no Kenyan standard exists for woven masks. “The general public must take caution that such cloth coverings do not guarantee protection against Covid-19,” the statement read.
“Members of the public are advised to wash the re-usable face masks with soap and water before use.”
Further, Kebs said health caregivers and patients in medical facilities are advised to use masks that have been certified.
“Kindly note that there is a limited supply of personal protective equipment for health workers including surgical masks and N-95 respirators,” the statement read.
“The general public is encouraged to leave these masks to the healthcare workers and the patients.”
Kebs also said that filtering face masks that protect against dust are now available. These types of masks are designed to protect against particles only.
With the number of coronavirus patients hitting 179, it is now mandatory for all to put on face masks to prevent the spread of the virus.
If you have no symptoms of Covid-19 disease, then you should not wear a mask, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised.
WHO has also advised that healthy people should observe hygiene by cleaning their hands with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer.
They should also avoid touching their mouth, nose, and eyes.
“The wide use of masks by healthy people in the community is not supported by current evidence and carries uncertainties and critical risks,” said WHO in its April 6 update.
“One of these risks is an acute shortage of medical masks needed for frontline health workers attending to Covid-19 positive cases.”
Through droplets
The WHO stand disregards the fact that the virus causing Covid-19 can spread through droplets in the air, and more so, asymptomatic people can spread it.
Studies on influenza-like illnesses and human coronaviruses show that medical masks can prevent the spread of infectious droplets from an infected person to a healthy one.
“There is limited evidence that wearing a medical mask by healthy individuals in the households or among contacts of a sick patient, or among attendees of mass gatherings may be beneficial as a preventive measure,” said WHO.
This stand by WHO contradicts what other countries including Kenya are advising to curb the spread of the disease.
During his address on Monday, President Uhuru Kenyatta said wearing masks will be mandatory when one is out in the open.
He opined that according to health experts, the masks are very important in the prevention of the disease.
WHO on the other side has stressed that the decision to ask people to wear masks in public by many governments should be well thought out.
The global agency said such a measure should only be adopted by individuals mingling with vulnerable populations. For example, WHO said it is advisable to wear a mask when attending to older persons or those with underlying health conditions like diabetes.
WHO, however, does not wholly condemn the usage of masks.
In its current update that will expire in two years if it is not revised, it has acknowledged that there are some benefits if the healthy population wears masks.
“Potential advantages of the use of masks by healthy people in the community include reducing potential exposure-risk from infected persons during the “pre-symptomatic” period,” WHO said.
But these risks, the agency said, should be carefully analyzed. They include self-contamination by reusing masks and false sense of security, which makes people disregard social distancing.