Dr Munyaradzi Mukuzunga
COVID-19 is not airborne. The virus is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air. They quickly fall on the floors or surfaces.
One can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are within one metre of a person who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth before washing your hands.
Therefore it is recommended for your to keep at least one metre from others at all times and disinfect surfaces that are touched frequently to ensure you are protected from COVID-19. It is encouraged to regularly and thoroughly wash your hands using soap. You may also disinfect them using an alcohol based sanitiser (with at least 70 percent alcohol).
Please note that ordinary alcohol does NOT work as sanitiser.
The usage of masks
When and how to use masks:
- If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected COVID-19 infection.
- Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.
- Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
- If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly. After taking off the mask, discard in a lidded rubbish bin and perform hand hygiene immediately.
Before putting on a mask, clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
- Cover mouth and nose with mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask.
- Avoid touching the mask while using it. If you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
- Replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not re-use single-use masks.
- To remove the mask, take it off from behind (do not touch the front area of the mask); discard immediately in a closed bin; clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
What makes a mask?
Most masks adopt a three-layer design which includes an outer fluid-repelling layer; a middle layer serves as a barrier to germs, and an inner moisture-absorbing layer.
A mask without the above functions is not recommended as it cannot provide adequate protection against infectious diseases transmitted by respiratory droplets in general. The correct way of wearing a mask is shown below.
- Choose the appropriate mask size
- Perform hand hygiene before putting on a mask
- The mask should fit snugly over the face. The mask must fully cover your mouth, nose and chin.
- The coloured side/the side with folds facing downwards should face outwards.
- For tie-on masks, secure the upper ties at the crown of head. Then secure lower ties at the nape. For ear-loops type, position the elastic bands around both ears.
- Extend the mask to fully cover mouth, nose and chin
- Mould the metallic strip over nose bridge and the surgical mask should fit snugly over the face.
- Avoid touching the mask after wearing it. Otherwise, you should perform hand hygiene before and after touching the mask.
Please note that you should change the masks as they should not be reused. Replace the mask immediately if it is damaged or soiled.
However, above all, minimize unnecessary social contacts and avoid visiting crowded places. Stay at home. Stay safe. Be home, not in the neighbourhood, during the lock down.
The usage of gloves
In a hospital or health delivery system, whenever gloves are used, they are thrown away after caring for each patient or a procedure. After using the glove on one person, it will have accumulated germs, including viruses, therefore it cannot be used on another person. The same applies in this fight against COVID-19.
However, it is now common to see someone driving, entering a supermarket, serving a client or swiping a customer’s card whilst wearing gloves. Wearing gloves in the wake of COVID-19 looks fashionable. However, are we doing it right?
When you wear the same pair of gloves for the entire day, go to various shops, touch different surfaces, then you are putting your health and that of others at the risk of picking up the virus.
Every surface you touch with contaminated gloves will be touched by the next person, which will subsequently be transferred to another surface.
With these contaminated gloves, you touch your phone, handbag, steering wheel, computer, etcetera, then your face or someone else, thereby offloading the virus to those surfaces. While you will wash your hands after taking off the gloves and eliminate the virus from your hands, gloves are discouraged as you might be unable to then disinfect all the surfaces you would have touched with the gloves.
The correct usage of gloves include changing them as soon as you touch one surface, which is not very practical, not to mention that being wasteful and costly.
Instead of going to all this trouble, just practice proper hand washing hygiene with soap and water or sanitising your hands (at least 70% alcohol) frequently, especially when you are in constant contact with various surfaces.
Those working with clients should sanitise their hands after serving each client and avoid using gloves. Remember the old mantra “a dirty glove is worse than a dirty hand”.
Acknowledgements: Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, World Health Organisation
Dr Munyaradzi Mukuzunga is the Acting Manicaland Provincial Medical Director