Face masks made of clothes, papers only reduce, can’t prevent COVID-19 spread, says NAFDAC boss

THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Monday said that the use of non-medical face masks, which include self-made or commercial masks or face covers made of clothes only reduce and not prevent spread of the coronavirus disease.

Director General of the agency, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, in a statement issued in Abuja, said these categories of protective masks are not of standard but essential to limit the spread of droplets.

She said: “Non-medical face masks include self-made or commercial masks or face covers made of clothes, other textiles or other materials such as paper. They are not standardised and are not intended for use in healthcare settings or by healthcare professionals.

“They serve to limit spread of droplets and offer some measure of protection to those around you.

“The material of construction is usually clothes (textile fabric), non-woven wadding, or paper-like materials. For these Barrier Masks, 100 per cent cotton is preferred though, polyester, linen or knit fabric can be used.

“Barrier face masks do not prevent you from contracting disease but they have been found to contribute to reducing spread of infections when used widely in conjunction with other measures. Such measures include social distancing, not touching the face, eyes or mouth, washing of hands with soap for 20 seconds or use of alcohol based hand sanitizers.”

Adeyeye stressed that such face masks are recommended to be washed daily and preferably, should be a double layer of fabric to increase its absorbency and effectiveness.

“It must be noted that several washes, drying and stretching of the mask over time reduce the effectiveness of the mask, “she added.

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