Mask it right to keep Covid away

The central government’s advisory on double masking to beat the highly virulent, contagious and unpredictable coronavirus variants is in keeping with the more stringent masking moves made in several other countries to deal with the rapidly mutating viruses

The central government’s advisory on double masking to beat the highly virulent, contagious and unpredictable coronavirus variants is in keeping with the more stringent masking moves made in several other countries to deal with the rapidly mutating viruses.

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However, in order to implement it and break the cycle of transmission, the government needs to quickly distribute the masks free of costs to all those who cannot afford them and also educate all consumers on the importance of wearing the mask and donning it right. This becomes extremely important in view of several scientific studies confirming the effectiveness of universal masking to curb the spread of the disease.

The quality of the mask is as important. In fact increasing scientific data on the comparative efficacy of different kinds of masks, the way the virus is transmitted as well as its mutations into more deadly variants –the virus is said to mutate almost every 11-15 minutes- are all forcing many countries around the world to re-visit their masking guidelines. France, for example, has banned wearing of home-made cotton masks and industrially made fabric masks with lesser filtering qualities in public, on the ground that they do not offer sufficient protection to the wearer from more contagious variants. Germany has made medical masks mandatory in stores and on public transit.

In India too, the government had last year recommended a simple home-made mask, but obviously, that is not adequate to protect the wearer any more. The principal scientific adviser to the government, while recommending double masking to prevent the spread of the virus, made three important points: (a) N-95 masks offer maximum protection against the virus (b) double masking should be done with an inner layer of surgical mask and a tight fitting outer layer of cotton mask and (c) if a surgical mask is not available, you can use two cotton masks. ‘ A double layer of home-made cotton masks is better than none’, said the advisory to prevent transmission of the virus.

The problem with home-made single layered masks is that there is no quality standard, they do not have a nose pin nor proper ear loops to ensure a tight fit as required and their filtration efficiency is poor when compared to three-layered non-woven surgical masks or N-95 masks or even multi-layered hybrid fabrics. Several studies have also shown the poor protection offered to the wearer by loose fitting masks with gaps between the skin and the mask.

So effective masking to prevent community spread of the virus requires protection through either double masking with a surgical mask and a cotton mask or an N-95 mask. However, this obviously costs more than wearing a single layered home made mask and puts an additional burden on families already reeling under poverty and unemployment.

Besides, all citizens should get equal protection from the virus. In the absence of free mask supplies, the poor will be placed at a very big disadvantage. In fact a large percentage of the economically disadvantaged do not wear the mask at all or wear the same surgical mask, probably given free , repeatedly, thereby giving them no protection from the virus.

Another problem is with fake and sub-standard masks flooding the markets since the beginning of the pandemic. Whether surgical, N-95 or even cotton masks, poor quality masks will become an even major problem in rural areas, as the virus stalks villages in the second wave, taking a heavy toll.

We are already worried about a third wave and experts are also warning us that the virus is not going to disappear for quite some time and we need to be wearing masks even after full vaccination. So all these factors make it imperative that good quality masks be distributed by the government free of cost to the economically vulnerable sections through fare price shops, anganwadis, primary health centres, vaccination centres and such other facilities.

Of course, it is equally important to educate people about the correct way to wear the mask. Quoting a sample survey, the union health ministry recently said only seven per cent of the population wore the mask right, covering their nose, mouth and chin with a mask fitted with a nose pin and drawn tightly over the face.