dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Social Links
  • zedreviews.com
  • citi.io
  • aster.cloud
  • liwaiwai.com
  • guzz.co.uk
  • atinatin.com
0 Likes
0 Followers
0 Subscribers
dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
  • Environment
  • People

Do Face Masks Really Prevent You From Catching Coronavirus?

  • March 13, 2020
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

No. The quick answer is no. Even if you wear a mask on a regular basis, there is no guarantee that you will not be infected with the coronavirus. By doing so, you might be even unconsciously increasing the risk of getting infected.

How so? Let’s boil it down.

No guarantee

According to infection prevention specialist Eli Perencevich, MD,  in an interview, the average healthy person doesn’t need to wear a mask. He said that there is no evidence that healthy people wearing masks will guarantee their safety from the coronavirus.

Wearing a mask may even increase the risk of infection in two ways.

First, if the mask is worn improperly, there is an increased likelihood for people to touch their faces to adjust the mask. At the same time, there will be gaps where viruses can come in.

Second, wearing a mask provides a false sense of security. According to Dr. Perencevich, if a person is wearing a mask but isn’t washing their hands properly especially when they remove or wear a mask, the risk of getting infected increases.

How to prevent getting infected

According to Dr. Karen Fleming, the best way to prevent coronavirus is to regularly wash your hands with soap and water. She said that the coronavirus is an “enveloped virus,” meaning it is surrounded by a fat layer. This layer of fat can be dissolved by soap and water and eliminate the virus.

Other precautionary measures that can be undertaken as per the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) include avoiding touching your nose, mouth, or eyes with your hands. Avoiding contact with sick people and regular disinfection of frequently touched surfaces are also recommended.

Social distancing, by trying to stay home as much as possible and postponing travel, especially to areas where there are known COVID-19 cases should also be considered, according to CDC.

When to wear masks

One scenario where you do need to wear a mask is when you are taking care of someone sick. This is to avoid the transfer of droplets which may contain the virus.

Healthcare professionals are also in need of wearing a mask. The problem is, there is a shortage in specialised masks. This is partly due to the overhoarding of masks, apart from the natural increase in demand.

It should be kept in mind though, that these masks are needed to keep the virus in, that is, to prevent a sick person from spreading the disease further. As much as our personal safety is important, we must understand that there is also a need for the people around us to be healthy and protected if we want to put the spread of this outbreak to a complete halt. At the same time, we need to make sure that the professionals who are tending to the sick are also well and protected.

“We’ve got to protect our healthcare workers because they’re the ones who are going to take care of us if we get sick,” according to Dr. Perencevich.

Total
0
Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
Related Topics
  • Coronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • Face Mask
dotlah.com

Previous Article
  • Society

Do Face Masks Really Prevent You From Catching Coronavirus?

  • March 13, 2020
View Post
Next Article
  • Cities
  • Society

How Cities Can Prepare For The Next Pandemic

  • March 13, 2020
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • People

Singapore’s national identity excludes those who don’t look like a ‘regular family’

  • dotlah.com
  • October 9, 2025
View Post
  • People
  • Politics

Singapore PM Wong arrives in Malacañang

  • dotlah.com
  • June 4, 2025
View Post
  • Featured
  • Features
  • People

Conclave: How A New Pope Is Chosen

  • Dean Marc
  • April 25, 2025
View Post
  • People

PM Wong takes Scoot flight, fellow passengers cheer

  • dotlah.com
  • October 16, 2024
singapore-carbon-market-alliance
View Post
  • Economy
  • Environment

Launch of Singapore Carbon Market Alliance (SCMA) to enable access to and supply of high-quality carbon credits

  • dotlah.com
  • August 1, 2024
dotlah-pm-lee-lawrence-wong-9656d4cd-1fa4-40ed-905d-e19e639b8476_728802dd
View Post
  • Lah!
  • People
  • Politics

End of Lee Era for Singapore as PM Steps Down

  • dotlah.com
  • May 16, 2024
View Post
  • People
  • Politics

‘A much bigger step forward’: Lawrence Wong on his journey to becoming Singapore’s fourth PM

  • dotlah.com
  • May 15, 2024
DPM Lawrence Wong will be Singapore's fourth prime minister on May 15. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
View Post
  • Lah!
  • People
  • Politics

7 things to know about Singapore’s next prime minister Lawrence Wong

  • dotlah.com
  • May 15, 2024


Trending
  • 1
    • Technology
    Singapore Signs MOU With The Republic Of Korea To Enhance Cybersecurity Cooperation
    • November 25, 2019
  • 2
    • Lah!
    New Facility At Interest Rate Of 0.1% To Help Banks And Finance Companies Lower Cost Of Loans To SMEs
    • April 22, 2020
  • 3
    • Lah!
    Reusable, Foldable And Sterilisable ‘Shield’ Developed By NUS-NUH Team Provides Additional Protection For Healthcare Workers Caring For COVID-19 Patients
    • June 27, 2020
  • 4
    • Cities
    WHO Declares Global Health Emergency Over Coronavirus: 4 Questions Answered
    • February 1, 2020
  • 5
    • Cities
    • Politics
    Japan Has Abandoned Decades Of Pacifism In Response To Ukraine Invasion And Increased Chinese Pressure On Taiwan
    • March 22, 2024
  • 6
    • Lah!
    “We choose to go to the moon”: Lessons from X
    • August 1, 2019
  • 7
    • Lah!
    • Technology
    Filling A TAL Order By Advancing Local Innovative Tech
    • November 13, 2021
  • 8
    • Cities
    Singtel Rallies Singapore Against COVID-19
    • March 31, 2020
  • 9
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Machine Learning
    • Technology
    Apple supercharges its tools and technologies for developers to foster creativity, innovation, and design
    • June 11, 2025
  • work-from-home-pexels-nataliya-vaitkevich-5412175 10
    • Features
    • People
    5 Tips To Succeed Working From Home
    • May 6, 2021
  • 11
    • Gears
    • Technology
    Samsung Electronics Debuts Odyssey G7 Monitors, Showcasing Top Games on Its Displays at Gamescom 2025
    • August 20, 2025
  • 12
    • Cities
    How To Measure The Performance Of Smart Cities
    • September 3, 2017
Trending
  • 1
    Why climate summits fail – and three ways to save them
    • October 21, 2025
  • Bluetooth speakers 2
    Best Bluetooth Speakers Under $200 (2025 Edition)
    • October 16, 2025
  • 3
    Apple Vision Pro upgraded with the powerful M5 chip and comfortable Dual Knit Band
    • October 15, 2025
  • 4
    Apple unveils new 14‑inch MacBook Pro powered by the M5 chip, delivering the next big leap in AI for the Mac
    • October 15, 2025
  • 5
    Apple introduces the powerful new iPad Pro with the M5 chip
    • October 15, 2025
  • 6
    Singapore’s national identity excludes those who don’t look like a ‘regular family’
    • October 9, 2025
  • Smart Watch 7
    Best Smartwatches, Your Gateway to Health Monitoring and Everyday Use
    • October 5, 2025
  • Cooking pots and pans 8
    Best Pots and Pans 2025: All-Season, All-Purpose Picks for Every Kitchen
    • September 23, 2025
  • 9
    Politicians love comparing NZ’s economy to Singapore or Ireland – but it’s simplistic and misleading
    • September 21, 2025
  • Kitchen Knives - Best All-Around Picks in 2025 10
    Kitchen Knives : The Surgeons of Cooking – Best All-Around Picks in 2025
    • September 15, 2025
Social Links
dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Connecting Dots Across Asia's Tech and Urban Landscape

Input your search keywords and press Enter.