Amidst the novel coronavirus, the Department of Health (DOH) does not recommend using face masks to the public.
Instead, the DOH recommends proper hygiene, especially thorough hand washing to combat the virus.
According to DOH Central Luzon Medical Officer V Leilani Mangulabnan, face masks can generally help protect from viral diseases, but it is only recommended to those who have an existing illness such as the common cold.
“We are having a shortage of face masks due to wrong public perception that is caused by lack of proper information and that is what we are trying to address now,” she said.
If one decides to wear a face mask, Mangulabnan says surgical masks are the better option for everyday use than the N95 masks. She added the proper way to wear the surgical masks is to have the blue side face outward. — Victoria Harris
