It would be almost too simple. Faced with the spread of the coronavirus, the French use everything they find at home to protect themselves: masks, scarves, gloves, etc. The virus is in fact transmitted through the droplets, when they come into contact with the mouth, nose or eyes. On the other hand, it is not airborne, that is to say that it does not move in the air. It also does not seep through the skin.
If the WHO recommends wearing the mask only for symptomatic people or those caring for a patient, others do not need it. However, she advises against touching your face and keeping your distance. "There are limits to the ability of the mask to protect you from contamination," recently said Dr. Mike Ryan, director of emergency programs for the United Nations. Indeed, poor sealing of the mask makes it inoperative. Same problem when you take off your mask several times a day, and you touch your face with your hands.
The WHO guidelines are all the more important since the masks are necessary for health personnel and that 89 million masks would be needed per month in the fight against Covid-19. WHO has also warned against a “rapid exhaustion” of protective equipment worldwide.
"False sense of security"
Regarding gloves, "if people keep touching their faces, they are useless," says Dr. Amesh Adalja, of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in the United States. However, according to a study published in 2015 in the journal American Journal of Infection Control, one would touch the face about twenty times each hour.
#Coronavirus Although open to fulfill its public service mission, @pole_emploi advises to privilege remote contacts
1️⃣ By phone 📞
2️⃣ By Mail to his advisor 📧
3️⃣ By Visio 💻
Each agency visit is done in strict compliance with “Barrier Gestures” pic.twitter.com/aNqU0xKC6o
In addition, "wearing gloves can give people a false sense of security," insists Dr. Adalja, noting that hospital gloves, not intended for everyday use, can tear. "If you wear gloves, you can no longer wash your hands," says Olivier Véran. In conclusion, nothing is more effective than barrier gestures: wash your hands very regularly, use single-use tissues, sneeze in your elbow and respect distances.