When the novel coronavirus pandemic reached the United States, panic ensued. Since the first cases were reported, citizens across the country, who are afraid for their health and safety, have attempted to take matters of protection into their own hands. 

This has led to people stockpiling items such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and cleaning products. Online retailers like Amazon and eBay have had to ban the sale of many of these items, as third-party retailers have been selling single bottles of sanitizer for hundreds of times the retail value.

One item that has become particularly coveted is the face mask. Everywhere you look, people have adorned these “shields” across their faces in the hope of protecting themselves from the virus. They have been purchased now in such massive quantities that retailers everywhere are completely sold out.

But just how effective are these masks, and does everyone really need to be wearing them? The short answer is no.

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Who Should Be Wearing Face Masks?

The truth is, even if you have masks at home, you do not need to be wearing them when you go out, even if there have been COVID cases in your community. The only people who need them are people who are sick and the healthcare workers that interact with them.  

According to Eli Perencevich, MD, and infection prevention specialist, not only do you not need them, you shouldn’t be wearing them.

“The average healthy person does not need to have a mask, and they shouldn’t be wearing masks,” Dr. Perencevich said. “There’s no evidence that wearing masks on healthy people will protect them. They wear them incorrectly, and they can increase the risk of infection because they’re touching their face more often.” [1]

The novel coronavirus is transmitted through respiratory droplets that are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes, not through the air. This means that you cannot simply breathe the virus in [2].

A standard surgical mask is meant to keep droplets in, not out, because they are intended to keep the wearer from getting other people sick. 

“If you have the flu or think you have COVID, that’s when you’d put on a mask to protect others,” said Dr. Perencevich. “In your house, if you feel like you’re sick, you should wear a mask to protect your family members.”[1]

The only other time it may be prudent to wear a mask is if you are caring for someone with COVID-19 in your home. This mask should be provided to you by an emergency department or clinic, and you should receive formal instruction from a medical worker as to how to wear the mask and dispose of it correctly [1].

Read: The Workers Who Face the Greatest Coronavirus Risk

Face Masks Vs. Respirators

A respirator is a type of personal protective equipment (PPE), that healthcare workers wear when they are treating someone with a serious contagious disease. You may also see these referred to as N95 or FFP2 masks.

Respirators have a very close facial fit and are designed to keep both the wearer and the patient from inhaling each other’s germs.

Surgical face masks, on the other hand, are loose-fitting, and, as mentioned previously, do not protect the wearer. This is because they are designed to block large particles or droplets, but do not filter or block very small particles in the air, and do not provide complete protection from germs. 

Both surgical face masks and respirators are designed for single-use only [3].

The CDC does not recommend the general public wear N95 face masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus [3].

Why You Shouldn’t Get a Respirator

The only way for a medical respirator to be effective is if it is used properly. Unlike the general public, medical staff are trained on the proper use of PPEs, such as how to make sure the mask is fitted properly.

3M, a major manufacturer of masks and respirators, explains that even a properly-fitted mask is not going to be one hundred percent effective, and will not eliminate the wearer’s exposure completely [1].

If the wearer does not use the mask the right way or dispose of it properly, they could actually be increasing their risk of contracting the virus, since all of the particles you are trying to avoid are trapped in the mask. Many people end up touching the mask or their face absent-mindedly, which could transmit the infection to themselves or others.

It also often provides the wearer with a false sense of security and may make them less vigilant with other precautionary measures, such as proper hand-washing.

“If you don’t wash your hands before you take off the mask and after you take off your mask, you could increase your risk,” said Palencevich [1].

Read: 20 Coronavirus Myths Busted

Mask Shortage in Healthcare Settings

The biggest problem that occurs when the general public purchases these masks, is that it is contributing to the mass shortage of PPEs in healthcare facilities across the country. This shortage is the most pressing concern for healthcare workers in the United States who are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic [4].

In Italy, frontline healthcare workers have been experiencing higher rates of infection and death because they do not have adequate access to items such as respirators, gloves, face shields, gowns, and hand sanitizer [5].

Shortages in the United States have become so dire that some workers are being forced to reuse face masks and respirators, or only use them in certain scenarios, leaving them exposed at all other times. 

Some health care providers have resorted to social media, using hashtags like #GetMePPE, or to set up their own websites to obtain PPE directly [6].

In an already strained health care system, we cannot afford for doctors, nurses, and other workers to become ill. 

The US Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD, has put out a plea on Twitter, begging people not to purchase respirators, stating that aside from their ineffectiveness for the general public, exposing health care workers to the virus will only put communities at greater risk [1].

Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS!

They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!
https://t.co/UxZRwxxKL9

— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) February 29, 2020

 “We’ve got to protect our healthcare workers because they’re the ones who are going to take care of us if we get sick,” said Pelencevich [1].

Read: Former CDC Chief: Vitamin D May Reduce The Risk Of Coronavirus Infection

How To Actually Protect Yourself from The Coronavirus

The coronavirus can enter your body if you touch your face, especially your nose or your mouth, with contaminated hands. For this reason, the absolute number one way to protect yourself and your family is through proper handwashing, and to avoid touching your face, according to the World Health Organization [7].

The WHO also recommends that you should maintain a social distance of one meter, or three feet, from anyone who is coughing or sneezing, and if you are sick, to ensure you are coughing or sneezing into the crook of your elbow, or covering your mouth and nose with a single-use tissue, then immediately wash your hands [7].

Finally, in order to reduce the spread of the virus and decrease the strain being placed on our healthcare system, it is crucial that we all stay home, and practice social isolation to protect those who are vulnerable.

In times such as these, it is up to every individual to be responsible and follow the guidelines being set by health officials and governments, as this is the only way to get through the pandemic.

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The post No, You Do Not Need Face Masks To Prevent Coronavirus—They Might Even Increase Your Infection Risk appeared first on The Hearty Soul.