PUTRAJAYA: The public are not compelled to don masks routinely in light of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.
Sungai Buloh Hospital senior consultant physician (infectious disease) Dr Benedict Sim said this was because there were no local transmissions of the 2019-nCoV among Malaysians so far.
“However, this may change over time if the virus spread and there is human-to-human transmission.
“At the moment, donning a mask is only necessary if you are visiting China, which is the epicentre of the outbreak,” he said at the Health Ministry’s 2019-nCoV briefing here today.
He added that if needed, the general public could use a three-ply surgical mask if they were worried about catching a cold or Influenza A.
Dr Sim, however, advised the public against using the same surgical mask throughout the day as it had captured moisture and needed to be changed every few hours.
He also recommended against using one-ply masks as they were very thin and do not protect against germs.
Meanwhile, the use of N95 masks, typically for protection against hazardous substances, was not necessary, Dr Sim added.
“The 2019-nCoV infects via droplets and surgical masks protects against this, while N95 masks are used when there are airborne viruses.
“There are also technical challenges when using N95 masks as it needs to fit our facial contours and must be properly worn. There is also a specific way to remove this mask without contaminating the hands.
“So at this stage, we will not recommend the N95 mask for the general public,” Dr Sim added.
The virus had so far claimed 170 lives across China since it emerged in Wuhan on Dec 31 last year.
As of today, Malaysia has recorded eight positive cases, with all the patients being tourists from China.
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