Coronavirus: Face Mask Culture Clash?

Wearing a face mask is common in some parts of Asia, even more so as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. It’s even compulsory in some parts of China since the virus outbreak. But it’s a different story in Europe and the U.S.

Public health officials have said there’s no need for healthy people to go around wearing face masks to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus. That hasn’t stopped a run on supplies, which has led to a shortage of face masks for medical personnel coping with the epidemic, who do need them. Here’s what’s behind the confusion.

1. What do health officials say?

In its Covid-19 guidance, the World Health Organization says healthy people need to wear masks only when taking care of those who are sick or suspected of infection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “does not recommend” people who are well wear them, except in that circumstance. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams went further, tweeting, “Seriously people – STOP BUYING MASKS!” Health-care providers who can’t get masks are at risk, he said, and that in turn raises the overall risk to the community. Infected providers can spread the virus to the uninfected and once sick can’t look after patients. The Journal of the American Medical Association made the same point in an article aimed at the public. It added that there’s no evidence masks protect ordinary people going about their daily business.

2. Is that true?

A few small studies have suggested that widespread use of face masks by the public may have reduced transmission in outbreaks of two other respiratory diseases, influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. However, the evidence is not generally considered conclusive. And with masks in short supply, the argument is that everyone is better off if they are reserved for those who actually require them and who can’t avoid exposure to people who are infected or might be.

3. When are regular people advised to wear masks?

Mainly if they are coughing or sneezing. A cough is a common symptom of infection with the virus that causes Covid-19, and the virus spreads in respiratory droplets — spatters of liquid forcefully expelled with an infected person’s cough or sneeze. These droplets are usually heavy enough to fall immediately to the ground or surrounding surfaces. Infection can occur if the droplets reach the mouth, nose or possibly the eye of someone nearby, either directly or from an unwashed hand that’s touched a contaminated object or surface. When a patient diagnosed with Covid-19 is recovering at home, they and their caregivers are advised to wear masks when they are in the same room. Officials in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan also recommend healthy people wear masks in certain other situations, such as in crowded places like buses or subway cars.

4. What’s the guidance for health-care workers?

Medical protocols prescribe that patients suspected of infection with the virus that causes Covid-19 be isolated and given a mask to wear. This will usually be the type worn by surgeons — the loose-fitting, one-size-fits-all kind that’s rectangular when flat. This is to protect other people by trapping virus-containing respiratory droplets. Health-care providers who deal with such patients or with confirmed cases are directed to wear a more sophisticated mask called a respirator. These are designed to protect the user.

5. How are respirators different?

They come in different sizes so they can be fit to the wearer’s face to provide a tight seal. That forces the user to pull air through the device’s filter rather than through gaps on the sides. They are designed to keep out not only respiratory droplets but also smaller aerosolized particles that can carry infectious agents and float for a time through the air. Airborne transmission has not been reported for Covid-19, but there is a risk that certain medical procedures, such as tracheotomy and airway suction, can generate aerosols. Respirators are uncomfortable to wear for a long period of time. They generate heat and exert pressure on the face, and some people find they make it difficult to breathe, which can make them unsuitable for those with cardiac and respiratory conditions.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm

QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL:
Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake
Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake
Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ
Email us at quicktakenews@gmail.com

QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.


In This Story: China

China is the third largest country in the world by area and the largest country in the world by population. Properly known as the People’s Republic of China, the political territory of the country includes Tibet and Hong Kong. The capital is Beijing.

7 Recent Items: China

Why the world is rushing back to the moon 1

Why The World Is Rushing Back To The Moon

How will the situation in the Red Sea evolve?

WEF founder: China plays responsible, responsive role in face of new global setting

WEF founder emphasizes crucial role of Davos meeting in addressing global challenges

Teams from China’s north, south meet in Harbin’s ice dragon boat race

WEF Founder highlights China’s remarkable economic momentum and will for progress

Where Are All the Chinese Tourists?

In This Story: COVID-19

Covid-19 is the official WHO name given to the novel coronavirus which broke out in late 2019 and began to spread in the early months of 2020.

Symptoms of coronavirus

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

  • a persistent new cough (non productive, dry)
  • a high temperature (e.g. head feels warm to the touch)
  • shortness of breath (if this is abnormal for the individual, or increased)

Latest News about Covid-19

Below are stories from around the globe related to the 2020 outbreak of novel Coronavirus – since the WHO gave the Covid-19 naming. Most recent items are posted nearest the top.

5 Recent Items: COVID-19

Global National: Jan. 19, 2024 | Health data shows influenza, COVID-19 cases decreasing in Canada

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500 hit record highs as tech stocks soar | January 19, 2024

Stock market today: Stocks climb with techs ready to roar | January 19, 2023

Dr Anthony Fauci ‘became part of the problem’ when it came to the spread of Covid misinformation

WEF summit: Canada warns of future supply shocks amid global instability

In This Story: Hong Kong

Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (HKSAR), is a metropolitan area and special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta of the South China Sea. With over 7.5 million residents of various nationalities in a 1,104-square-kilometre (426 sq mi) territory, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places in the world.

Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the Qing Empire ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842. The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 after the Second Opium War and was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. The whole territory was transferred to China in 1997. As a special administrative region, Hong Kong maintains separate governing and economic systems from that of mainland China under the principle of “one country, two systems”.

3 Recent Items: Hong Kong

Bloomberg Markets: China Open 01/19/2024

ANDREA ATZENI in Hong Kong! Star jockey talks Group One hopes & more!

Exploring Shanghai in Blossoms: A microcosm of Chinese urban modernity

In This Story: Influenza

Flu is a common infection that can easily spread to other people.
The symptoms of flu are similar to a very bad cold. They include a high temperature, an aching body, tiredness and a headache.
Flu will usually get better in about a week if you rest, keep warm, drink plenty of fluids and take painkillers. Antibiotics do not help with flu.
You can help avoid flu by getting the flu vaccine every year.

1 Recent Items: Influenza

Global National: Jan. 19, 2024 | Health data shows influenza, COVID-19 cases decreasing in Canada

Leave a Comment

We don't require your email address, or your name, for anyone to leave a comment. If you do add an email address, you may be notified if there are replies to your comment - we won't use it for any other purpose. Please make respectful comments, which add value, and avoid personal attacks on others. Links are not allowed in comments - 99% of spam comments, attempt to post links. Please describe where people may find additional information - for example "visit the UN website" or "search Google for..." rather than posting a link. Comments failing to adhere to these guidelines will not be published.