‘Valved N-95 masks don’t cut Covid spread’

New Delhi: The director general of health services in a letter to states has made it clear that the use of “valved respirator N-95 mask” is detrimental to the measures adopted for preventing the spread of coronavirus, as it does not prevent the virus from escaping out of the mask.

Health ministry’s officer on special duty Rajesh Bhushan reiterated on Tuesday that “if an asymptomatic person is wearing a valved N-95 mask, then the propensity of that person infecting others exists”.

“This is an evolving situation and if we’re introduced to new facts that may require us to change the current advisory, then we’ll do so,” he added.

On Monday, DGHS Dr Rajiv Garg
said in a letter to the national health mission and to all principal
secretaries (health) in states that “it has been observed that there is
an inappropriate use of the N-95 mask (particularly with valved
respirator) by the public other than designated health workers”.

In
his letter he goes on to cite the advisory of the health ministry
(available on the ministry’s website) on the use of home-made protective
cover for face and mouth. He has asked the state authorities to
instruct all concerned to follow guidelines on use of face and mouth
coverings and prevent inappropriate use of N-95 masks.