Why face masks could be weakest link in Covid-19 fight

Get a face mask. Wear a mask. This is the new tune echoing in Kenyans’ ears.

In a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19 disease, the government has made wearing of masks in public, including in vehicles, mandatory. That means outside one’s house.

Businesses now risk closure if found to be serving customers who are not wearing face masks.

Previously, only medical personnel on the frontline, people who had a cough or were sneezing and healthy caregivers to those suspected of being infected wore face masks.

But after research findings confirmed aerosol transmission of coronavirus, the government, through Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, gave the directive.

However, the government is yet to distribute masks to the public, especially the poor and other vulnerable citizens, and many people have resorted to making them at home. Some of these items are now sold by hawkers.

But does the public really know the right type of mask to wear?

Most of the masks sold at bus stations and on the streets are not medically approved. Most are made from clothes, popularly kitenge (probably for the colour).

That is dangerous as these masks are not of the standard for protecting someone and, secondly, their handling is unhygienic.

Most buyers often first touch and ‘feel’, and even fit, a mask before they buy one.

The sellers also attract crowds, utterly ignoring the social distancing rule of being one metre apart. That poses a risk of exposing many people to the virus should even one of the customers be positive.

Besides, inappropriate disposal of the masks poses a public health or environmental hazard.

Most of them are designed to be used once. Masks should be disposed of separate from other garbage to avoid contamination, which could lead to further spread of the virus.

With no disposal guidelines from the authorities, one often sees discarded masks on the streets yet they do not rot. Animals such as cattle may swallow them and die.

Fake masks that do not bear the Kebs mark of approval are on sale. Kebs should brand the genuine products for users to easily to distinguish them.

Most Kenyans also do not know the recommended types of masks. The surgical single-use face mask and the N95 respirator are the most common.

The former fits loosely over the mouth and nose and blocks the spread of large respiratory droplets when the wearer or someone near them coughs or sneezes.

The latter fits snugly on the face and gives the wearer greater protection against airborne pathogens.

The government should publish and distribute for free illustrated booklets explaining how to wear the masks and also their types.

Face masks could be a gamechanger against Covid-19, like in China and Japan, but they could be the weakest link in the chain.

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