Expert: All kinds of face masks can give protection vs COVID-19 but proper use is key

FILE PHOTO: A student wearing a protective face mask gets her temperature taken while entering her college campus in Manila on January 31, 2020. Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — All kinds of face masks can provide protection against COVID-19, the government’s infectious disease expert said on Tuesday.

But Dr. Rontgene Solante stressed that the efficiency of face masks greatly depends on how a person wears them.

“Sa ngayon, wala pa tayong ganu’ng recommendation kagaya doon sa U.S. ‘no kasi ang pinaka-importante dito na ‘yung lahat ng face mask, even ‘yung cloth mask, can still protect us against the COVID, ‘no,” he explained.

“Ang importante natin ngayon titignan ang pagsuot nito na tama ang pagsuot at saka pagsuot nito sa mga lugar na kinakailangan mataas ang proteksyon,” he also said.

(What is important is to properly wear it and wear it in places where you most need protection.)

READ: DOH does not recommend face masks with gaps, holes

He added, however, that recommending KN95 or N95, which health workers use, may cause a supply issue. When correctly worn, KN95 and N95 masks will filter out at least 95 percent of particulate matter in the air.

READ: N95? KF94? Which mask is best at protecting against Covid

“Kung gagamit man tayo KN95 or N95 baka mahirapan tayo sa supply dahil itong mga mask na ‘to ay napaka-importante nito sa mga healthcare workers or sa healthcare facilities,” Solante noted.

(If we will use KN95 or N95, we may have difficulty in supply because these masks are used by healthcare workers or in healthcare facilities.)

“So, even surgical mask is still okay. Cloth mask pwedeng doblehin lang with a surgical mask para lang karagdagang proteksyon but ang importante dito is wearing it consistently and wearing it properly,” he continued.

(Cloth masks can be worn with a surgical mask for additional protection but what is important is wearing it consistently and wearing it properly.)

Solante’s remarks came as the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently revised its guidelines on wearing masks, recommending “the most protective mask” that a person could wear.

KGA