Stop Buying Coronavirus Masks You Don’t Need
When an outbreak continues, uninfected people need to know and do important things, such as washing their hands. There are things that cannot be done because they are mostly useless and actually interfere with the proper care of the people who need them. For most of us, face masks fall into the second category.
As we said earlier, surgical masks can help you stop the spread of your germs to someone else , but they are of limited usefulness in protecting you from the coronavirus in the outside world. Respiratory masks are a little more effective, but if you are not in a hospital or in a high-risk area (such as Wuhan) there will be too many of them.
So what’s the harm? If supplies were unlimited, they would not exist. But not many face masks are produced per year, and many are actually made in China. As Marin McKenna writes here , China chooses not to export as many masks and other personal protective equipment because they need them at home.
At a press briefing today, the Director General of the World Health Organization noted that the demand for masks and related products has increased 100 times, and prices are now almost 20 times higher than usual. This is partly to be expected in an epidemic, but then he adds : “This situation is exacerbated by widespread inappropriate use [of personal protective equipment such as masks] outside of patient care.”
WHO is working to get materials to places where they are most needed, but supplies are already small. This is a real issue that could affect the ability of doctors to properly care for patients and prevent the spread of the virus in hospitals.
What can you do
Don’t buy masks out of fear – either out of fear of the coronavirus or out of fear that stocks will soon run out. Buying masks you don’t need just makes life difficult for doctors and people with medical needs, like your asthma and dust allergic neighbor who wears a respirator when she cleans her house.
If you have a medical reason for wearing masks, do your best to stay safe. If you have problems finding or providing them, seek the advice of your doctor.
If you are concerned about being infected with the coronavirus, it may be helpful to read the facts. According to the Johns Hopkins tracker, there are now only 12 cases of the virus in the United States; you are much more likely to catch a cold or flu than a coronavirus. This may change, but let’s empower healthcare providers who respond to illness to cope with it appropriately.
If a mask just makes you feel better, a sheet mask may be a good alternative. You can even findsimple patterns for them if you want to make your own. They are not as effective as respirators or disposable surgical masks, but may provide some protection . You will need to wash them daily, but that means two or three masks will work for you and you won’t need to buy disposable ones.