Locally-made nose masks don’t fully protect against COVID-19, says WHO

* Urges consumers to clean locally-made masks properly before wearing them again

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Emphasising the essential need for consumers of the personal protective equipment to observe all the recommended measures still, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued new guidance on homemade or locally-made nose masks for the prevention of COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the masks do not fully protect against the virus.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, gave the advice Sunday, June 7 via its verified official twitter handle @WHOAFRO.

The United Nations health agency urged people to clean locally-made nose masks properly before wearing them again.

The guidance on homemade nose masks, according to WHO, is important for preventing COVID-19 in low-income context.

“WHO has recommended the wearing of medical masks; at the beginning of the crisis, there were not enough; supply chain was already disrupted.

“Member-states and governments have made wearing of face masks mandatory in their own countries; people were prompted to resort to homemade masks,’’ stated the message.

The document also provides guidelines on how to wear them; how to clean them; how to remove them, and when to remove them, and much more importantly, how to manufacture them locally.

“When you are removing the mask, don’t allow it to touch your hand; use the elastic to remove it without touching the mask itself,” it said.

The official also advised that the masks needed to be clean daily.

Meanwhile, the agency said the number of COVID-19 cases in Africa had risen to over 175,000 as of June 6, 2020.