COVID-19: Government issues advisory asking people to wear 'homemade face covers'

Centre on Saturday recommended the use of simple do-it-yourself homemade face masks by healthy persons to prevent getting COVID-19 infections.

“It is suggested that such people who are not suffering from medical conditions or having breathing difficulties may use the handmade reusable face cover, particularly when they step out of their house. This will help in protecting the community at large,” an advisory from the Health Ministry said.

Earlier, the ministry had recommended the use of surgical masks only for those with respiratory infections and cough, with a clear advisory against N-95 masks which it said were only for those working in hospital conditions.

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“Certain countries have claimed benefits of homemade face cover for the general public. Such a homemade face cover is a good method for maintaining personal hygiene. Such usage certainly will help in maintaining overall hygienic health conditions,” the ministry advisory said.

However, the ministry made it clear that the home made masks were not recommended for either health workers or those working with or in contact with COVID-19 patients or are patients themselves. “.. these categories of people are required to wear specified protective gear,” it said.

The advisory said that such face covers could be made out of clean cloth available at home which should be washed and dried before stitching the protective gear.

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“Such face covers should also not be thrown anywhere but kept safely, washed properly with soap and hot water and dried properly before they are used,” the advisory said.

The ministry said the face cover should be prepared in such a manner that it can cover the mouth and nose completely and can be tied over the face easily.

Earlier this week, Principal Scientific Advisor to the government, K Vijayraghavan had issued a manual for making face masks at home, contending analyses showed that if 50% of the population were to wear masks, only 50% of the population would be infected by the virus.