Health Tips – Wearing Masks

We are adding a new focus on the H of PERMAH to this blog. Lisa Chute who is our nursing office manager will be sharing health tips to support your wellness and understanding about the 2019-nCoV (novel coronavirus).

WEARING MASKS

On January 29, 2020 the WHO released a document advising on the wearing of masks during this 2019-nCoV outbreak.

Medical masks (surgical masks) are the blue 3-ply paper masks that most people are wearing these days. These masks are meant to be used by people in the community who have respiratory symptoms — sneezing and coughing. The mask prevents the spread of droplets which cause the transmission of the 2019-nCoV, as long as it is covering the nose and mouth properly. The droplets are trapped inside the mask instead of dispersed into the air.

There is no evidence that wearing a medical mask is effective in preventing the spread of 2019-nCoV in people who are healthy. Wearing a mask in Vietnam is a cultural phenomenon but probably has little impact on preventing 2019-nCoV. If you choose to wear a mask then note that medical masks are meant to be disposable, one time use. You can wear it until it feels damp or humid. Wearing a mask may prevent you from touching your face (which is great!) but may give you a false sense of safety. Please carefully consider the use of a mask. Unnecessary use of masks by healthy people may lead to not enough masks available for people with respiratory illness.

The best practice to prevent this virus from spreading is to wash your hands frequently, don’t touch your nose or mouth, avoid closed-in crowded spaces, and stay at least 1 meter away from people with respiratory symptoms. You will notice that the SSIS nurses will be wearing masks when assessing students or staff. This is according to WHO guidelines.

If you have respiratory symptoms then please come to the Nursing Office in the MS for a mask and an assessment! If you are healthy and want to talk about masks then please give Lisa a call (-11070) to discuss the best mask for you. You can also email Lisa at LChute@ssis.edu.vn

Here is the link to the original WHO article.