EVEN though people in good health need not wear face masks, the demand for single-use masks has markedly risen with the spread of COVID-19, a pneumonia-like disease caused by a novel coronavirus.
But do people know how to dispose facemasks safely after using them to prevent the further spread of the disease?
The most important thing to remember is that these masks are not meant to be recycled or reused for health and safety reasons. Health experts do not recommend reusing disposable face masks.
So yes, do not throw used facemasks arbitrarily.
The improper disposal of used masks may contaminate the surroundings with germs that can make people sick. Because viruses can live on surfaces for a number of days, discarded masks may become a potential source of infection. A new study published in the March 2020 issue of The Journal of Hospital Infection stated that “human coronaviruses can remain infectious on inanimate surfaces for up to nine days.”
Also, the arbitrary disposal of used masks may end up polluting water bodies and harming marine life.
Like the ubiquitous single-use plastic bags in the oceans, discarded masks may be mistaken as food by aquatic creatures, blocking their digestive tracts and affecting their growth, reproduction and survival.
The inappropriate disposal of used face masks may also lead to irresponsible recycling and reusing of such masks. Just this March 2 in Thailand, a raid conducted by the Thai police in a recycling factory in Saraburi province led to the discovery that this factory recycles and resells used facemasks to cater for rising demand.
According to a study by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies in the US, “disposable masks and respirators do not lend themselves to reuse because they work by trapping harmful particles inside the mesh of fibers of which they are made.” This hazardous buildup cannot be cleaned or disinfected without damaging the fibers or other components of the device such as the straps or nose clip.
To reduce the consumption and disposal of face masks, the World Health Organization (WHO) has this advice:
* If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected COVID-19 infection.
* Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.
* Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rubs or soap and water.
* If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly.
WHO says the use of a mask alone is insufficient to provide adequate level of protection and other equally relevant measures should be adopted. Let us remember that.
Thus let us heed the appeal made by Health secretary Francisco Duque III to judiciously use facemasks.
