Government changes tack, says masks can stop spread

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 31

Marking a major shift in strategy from the existing rules, a government guidance on masks today said once 80 per cent of the population wears masks, outbreak of Covid-19 can be “stopped immediately”.

So far, the Health Ministry advisory on masks has been in line with the WHO guidance, which says “there is no scientific evidence to show health benefit of using masks for non-sick persons in the community”.

The detailed manual on homemade masks — “Masks for Curbing the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus” — issued by the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister says “analyses show if 50 per cent of the population were to wear masks, only 50 per cent of the population would be infected by the virus. Once 80 per cent of the population wears masks, the outbreak can be stopped immediately”. Quoting the World Health Organisation, the manual states “masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly.”

On ‘why wear a mask’, it says: “Covid-19 virus spreads easily from person-to-person contact. Virus carrying droplets dry fast enough to form droplet nuclei and remain airborne eventually landing on different surfaces. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, has been detected in aerosols for up to three hours and on plastic and stainless steel surfaces for up to three days”.

The manual says masks lower the chances of the virus entering the respiratory system through droplets still in the air from an infected person.

The proposed guide is meant to provide a simple outline of best practices to make, use and reuse masks.

The key criteria for proposed designs are ease of access to materials, easy of making at home, ease of use and reuse. Wearing of masks is especially recommended for people living in densely populated areas across India.

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