WHO: No need to wear two surgical masks

MANILA, Philippines — There is no need to wear two surgical masks at the same time, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to the Philippines said Monday.

Asked in a television interview if it is necessary to wear two kinds of masks at the same time, WHO country representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe said: “It depends on what kind of mask you are wearing.”

“If you are wearing medical or surgical masks, we don’t think there is a necessity for two masks. I have seen some reports that say if you wear two masks, it is more protective. The question is where do you draw the line? You could say five masks could be more protective than two,” he said over ABS-CBN News Channel.

He said what was important is to wear surgical masks properly and to not touch them often.

“We need to continue to follow hand hygiene, mask-wearing, cough etiquette, and physical distancing. These are the measures that will help us protect ourselves and our loved ones as we wait for the potential arrival of vaccines and an end to this pandemic but that is still a long road,” Abeyasinghe added.

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JE