It would seem appropriate for anybody to step up their defensive measures against the Wuhan virus, considering how China’s cases alone have already surpassed Sars’ total. Besides maintaining good hygiene, many have included wearing a mask outside as way to avoid getting infected. Ultimately, it’s better to be safe than sorry, right?
Masks can help in curbing the spread of disease – but does not automatically grant you protection from it. Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong took the chance at a news conference on Thursday (January 30) to mention the conditions in which a mask may not serve its functions.
“Medical experts have highlighted that sometimes wearing a mask or wearing it wrongly can give you a false sense of security. You wear it wrongly, it may not be effective,” he said.
“Worse, if you wear it and you still use your hands to touch your face constantly, it doesn’t help at all because there is more likelihood that the virus can spread through contact and through your hands.”
Read on to find out if you need a mask, and how one should wear a mask so that it works.
