Coronavirus: Do not wear masks if you are not sick or not caring for someone who is sick – WHO warns

World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the general populace to
avoid wearing face masks during the Coronavirus pandemic unless they are
sick with the virus or they are health workers in daily contact with
sick people.

According to the WHO, unnecessary or bad usage of masks can even help in spreading the virus, rather than contain it.

“There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by
the mass population has any potential benefit. In fact, there’s some
evidence to suggest the opposite in the misuse of wearing a mask
properly or fitting it properly,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of
the WHO health emergencies program, said at a media briefing in Geneva,
Switzerland, on Monday.

“There also is the issue that we have a massive global shortage,” Ryan said about masks and other medical supplies.

“Right now the people most at risk from this virus are frontline health
workers who are exposed to the virus every second of every day. The
thought of them not having masks is horrific.”

Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist with the
WHO, also said it is important “we prioritize the use of masks for those
who need it most,”

“In the community, we do not recommend the use of wearing masks unless
you yourself are sick and as a measure to prevent onward spread from you
if you are ill,” Van Kerkhove said.

“The masks that we recommend are for people who are at home and who are
sick and for those individuals who are caring for those people who are
home that are sick,” she said.