From people lining up in grocery stores to those who seek medical aid in hospitals, face masks have become a commonly used essential, as primary protection against COVID-19 pandemic. But with more and more people using masks, there is also the looming problem of ensuring that masks are disposed properly. To address this concern, health experts are urging people to use cloth masks instead of single-use ones.
The efficiency of non-medical masks is still debated by the World Health Organisation (WHO). However, WHO also says that such masks help in reducing “potential exposure risk from infected persons during the “pre-symptomatic” period” i.e. before the affected person begins showing symptoms.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on Tuesday also urged people to use home-made masks without fail. Kerala and Chennai have already asked residents to compulsorily use masks while stepping out of their houses. But in cities like Kochi, used masks being reportedly dumped at garbage yards in Brahmapuram, after only disinfecting and not incinerating, has raised concerns.
“This is not an acceptable way of handling used masks. It is because of the challenges of correct disposal we are urging people to use washable cloth masks instead of single use masks. Used disposable masks should be incinerated after usage. I would urge people to only use cloth masks, and clean them with soap and water after every use,” Dr Amar Fettle, Nodal Officer of Communicable Diseases of Kerala, tells TNM.
He added that those who are in home quarantine or suspected to have COVID-19 should wash the cloth masks with 0.5% bleach solution to disinfect the masks.
Kerala government has also put out guidelines on how to make cloth masks at home.
The Greater Chennai Corporation on Monday made a more stringent announcement stating that people getting out to public places without wearing masks will be penalised. The local body has said that it will even cancel the movement passes or confiscate vehicles erring people.
But even while making usage of masks mandatory, health experts in Chennai also urge people that they should resort to use of cloth masks only.
“We have clear guidelines and recommendations on who should wear what kind of mask. As a healthcare worker working in a hospital environment, I am expected to wear a three-ply face mask which will give up to 80% protection. Someone working in a COVID-19 treatment centre, with direct contact with patients, needs to use a N95 mask. ‘95’ in N95 stands for its filtering capacity of being able to protect up to 95%. For all others who are not working in a hospital environment or a laboratory, usage of a cloth mask is adequate,” Dr Jayanthi, Dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, tells TNM.
Cities like Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and Chennai in Tamil Nadu have also come forward with measures to promote safe disposal, such as providing separate bins for people to dispose of used masks. However, health experts still point out that if the public uses disposable masks, often used by medical staff in non-COVID-19 hospitals, it can lead to a shortage.
“It is advisable for the public to use indigenous masks which can be made at home, or cloth masks which can be purchased. They can be washed and reused. Given the nature of the job, it is better for healthcare professionals to use disposable masks. If the public stocks up on disposable masks, then there may be a shortage for those who really need it," says Dr Samapath Rao, Managing Director of Anupama Hospitals in Hyderabad's Kukatpally.
With inputs from Anjana Shekar and Nitin B
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