Is a Face Mask Enough?
When a disease spreads widely across multiple countries or continents, it is known as a pandemic. Globally, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic — a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, commonly known as coronavirus. Who cares about the name, right?
This virus — which looks like a wreath or a crown when viewed under a microscope — caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people within just a few months.
Different health and safety measures have been recommended as studies continue to help us understand how the virus is transmitted and how it can be contained to reduce or eliminate further deaths.
So what is the best approach individuals and organisations can employ to reduce the R-value, or transmission rate?
There has been strong recommendation, and even enforcement, of wearing a face mask outdoors — but there is also ongoing controversy over its use and how much it actually protects the wearer from the virus.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations of the United Kingdom, in the hierarchy of risk control, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) should be the last resort — after every other control has been considered.
Work from home if possible
The most effective control measure to mitigate the risk of exposure is elimination — physically limiting or avoiding a situation that encourages the spread.
This is why lockdowns were introduced by various countries: to curb the spread of the virus while the majority of the population complied.
But lockdown was not sustainable. Social needs, economic pressure, and financial strain became too much for many individuals and organisations to handle. We can only hope that wisdom is applied as the world gradually braces up to the challenge of enforcing other safety measures.
Obey social distancing rules
Where possible, organisations should find ways to work remotely and keep tabs on the wellbeing of their employees. Where that is not feasible, the risk of exposure should be minimised by putting measures in place to encourage social distancing.
Workplaces should be well ventilated. Customers should be encouraged to spend as little time as possible in public areas — placing their orders without eating in the restaurant, for example. The use of public transportation should be minimised.
Engineering controls like automated doors and cashless payments help. Screens can protect the attendant from the customer, the driver from the passenger, and vice versa. These, and many others, should be employed.
The danger of the face mask
In the UK, research has shown that 50% of respiratory protective equipment does not provide adequate protection due to poor fitting. The successful use of any PPE depends on user training, proper fitting, and correct handling.
Face masks do not eliminate risk, so care must be taken to ensure they are properly worn and fitted. Many people, until now, have never had reason to wear any form of protective outfit. It is therefore the responsibility of employers, governments, and leaders to teach people how to use this protective item correctly.
A face mask can give the wearer a false sense of protection — and with it, the temptation to bypass other health and safety measures like avoiding crowded areas, frequent hand washing, and general hygiene. The presence of a mask on the face can also increase the involuntary urge to keep touching the face, especially when it isn't properly placed. Masks should be comfortable, worn with the straps behind the head, and safely disposed of after use.
The controversy
There has been controversy around the inadequacy of face masks, since a mask is seen to protect the other person and not the wearer. Wearing a face mask does not protect you from the virus directly — instead, you protect others by not transmitting droplets through breathing (about 1.5 m), coughing (up to 2 m), and sneezing (up to 8 m). This helps protect the vulnerable around you, like the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
This is where it gets interesting: if others who unknowingly carry the virus also wear their masks, they end up protecting you — and you protect them. It is a responsible thing to do, because you can be asymptomatic and still carry the virus. We need to protect the people around us.
The potency of the virus
The coronavirus can survive up to 2–3 days on hard, smooth surfaces like plastic and steel. Care should be taken to clean surfaces regularly and to provide washing facilities and sanitisers at strategic locations in offices and public premises.
Thankfully, the virus is very sensitive to extreme pH, heat, dryness, and the regular disinfectants we are used to — soap, bleach, and sanitisers. These damage the outer layer of the virus and render it harmless to us.
Your responsibility
Wear your face mask to protect me, while I do the same to protect you. Cover your mouth and nose properly without leaving gaps, avoid touching your mask, and wash your hands whenever you do — or after disposing of it. Masks and disposable materials used during the cleaning of surfaces should be safely secured and disposed of after 72 hours.