Will Kenya adopt new guidelines on face masks? – KBC

People over 60 years and individuals with underlying medical conditions will be required to wear medical masks in public if the Ministry of Health adopts new guidelines by World Health Organization (WHO).

With the Ministry of Health set to roll out home-based care management, Covid-19 patients and home caregivers will also be required to wear the N95 particulate medical masks that have been for use exclusively by health care personnel.

Health care workers and caregivers should wear the masks when in close contact or when a distance of at least 1 m cannot be maintained from a suspect or confirmed COVID-19 patient.

WHO says new information showed they could provide “a barrier for potentially infectious droplets”.

Health Chief Administrative Secretary CAS Dr Rashid Aman says the directive yet to be implemented is in line with World Health Organisation new guidelines on masking.

“WHO has issued new guidelines which require those above 60 years and those with underlying conditions to wear N95 masks when in public places due to their lowered immunity of that age and those with underlying medical conditions. This applies to caregivers of patients under the home-based program as well” he said during the daily update by the health ministry.

Already there is a global shortage of the expensive N95 medical masks. All workers in clinical settings should wear medical masks in areas with the widespread transmission.

Alternatives

Surgical N95 respirators give you the protection of both an N95 respirator and a surgical or procedure mask.

According to WHO, face shields may be considered as an alternative owing to the severe shortage of N95 masks.

The use of cloth masks (referred to as fabric masks in this document) as an alternative to medical masks is not considered appropriate for protection of health workers based on limited available evidence.

One study that evaluated the use of cloth masks in a health care facility found that health care workers using cotton cloth masks were at increased risk of influenza-like illness compared with those who wore medical masks.

The CAS while urging the elderly and those with low immunity to stay at home said the masks are most protective in areas where there’s community transmission of the virus and physical distancing is impossible.

Dr Aman said they were still analyzing the recommendation by WHO and if they decide to adopt they will provide the medical masks to those affected.

“Every country will have to look at the guidelines carefully and see what it can implement in terms of provision of masks to the populations,” he said.

The general public should wear a three-layer fabric mask.

The new guidance by WHO recommends that the general public wear cloth masks made from at least three layers of fabric “on public transport, in shops, or in other confined or crowded environments.”

Those who should wear medical masks: