While Goa has taken this decision, other States are expected to follow suit, which could make the wearing of the face coverings compulsory across the country. The Centre in its guidelines since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, has constantly recommended the use of masks, but it was not binding upon the people to wear them. In Goa, which is soon to become the first State in the green zone, masks are now no longer optional. But, is it the best possible shield against COVID-19?
One needs to look at what the World Health Organisation (WHO) states about wearing of masks in the current circumstances of the pandemic. According to WHO, a healthy person needs to wear a mask only if taking care of a person who has been infected by COVID-19. It, however, recommends that those sneezing or coughing wear one, but also cautions that masks are effective only when combined with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. WHO guidelines also state that before putting on a mask, one must wash one’s hands, and that the mask must cover the mouth and nose making sure there are no gaps between the face and mask. It also recommends not to touch the mask while using it, and that it be replaced once it is damp. While removing, it has to be done from behind and discarded in a closed bin. More importantly, single-use masks should not be re-used.
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From the above it is clear that by WHO standards, the use of a mask by a healthy person is not a necessity. There, however, is no guarantee as to who is healthy and who is not. Yes, a person who has a cough or a cold needs to be wearing a mask at all times, so as to ensure that the virus – not necessarily COVID-19 – is not passed on to others. At the same time there are those who advocate the use of masks to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. There is evidence that the use of masks does stop the spread of infections, especially respiratory ailments, which could make it a safer option to wear masks.
Yet, at the same time, one cannot assume that the mask that is worn is complete protection against the Coronavirus, and not take other precautions. The belief that the mask is the best preventive could be a fallacy. It continues to be important to maintain distance between two people in public places and also avoid touching surfaces where the virus could have got dropped. In short, the mask will stop the virus from being sneezed or coughed from or onto a person’s face. There are also reports that countries, which have promoted the use of the mask, have managed to keep the spread of the virus in check. That makes an excellent argument in favour of using masks.
Yet, a major hurdle in the way of making use of masks mandatory across the country will be making them available to the people. Not only is the cost of the disposable masks high, which will make them out of reach of a large section of the population, there are other issues like that of availability. Earlier this month there was a shortage of them in the State, though stocks have now been replenished. However, if they are made compulsory then there is every possibility that people will buy them up quickly, so the sale has to be managed to ensure that all the people are able to purchase the required quantity. If wearing masks will save the people, it makes sense to make it obligatory.
