Dry cloth masks on a street in Sao Paulo.

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Cris Faga / SIPA

The washing of reusable cloth masks at 60 ° is "not justified", the National Academy of Medicine said on Tuesday, calling for "easy to understand rules" concerning this element of protection against the transmission of the coronavirus .

"The current epidemiological indicators predicting a prolonged epidemic situation, it becomes necessary to integrate the wearing of the mask in the daily gestures by making it comprehensible, acceptable and routine", estimated the learned society in a press release.

No more than a day 

Thus, masks for the general public "can be washed by hand or in a machine, with a detergent, such as underwear, the temperature of 60 ° C not being more justified for washing the masks than for washing the hands. », She explains.

Likewise, "they are reusable after each wash-dry cycle as long as their qualities (mesh of the fabric and integrity of the straps) are not altered", she adds, while most fabric masks are approved for use. 10, 20 or 50 washes maximum.

On the other hand, "they must be changed when they get wet and never be worn for more than a day".

“Wearing a mask in the community is not optional;

masquerading to protect others is an altruistic gesture whose collective effectiveness is certain when everyone applies it, ”insists the academy.

Fabric masks, "better qualities of comfort and" breathability ""

While "a plethora of often contradictory statements maintains general confusion", she recommends "that the obligation to wear a mask, systematically associated with distancing measures, be introduced in all public places, closed and open, according to rules that are easy to understand, apply and control ”and“ that clear and simplified information on the use of masks be widely disseminated ”.

Like the High Council for Public Health (HCSP), the academy also believes that reusable masks for the general public should be favored in the public space, “for obvious economic and ecological reasons”.

She recommends reserving disposable masks, known as "surgical", for "care activities" and "sick or isolated people".

"While alternative masks have slightly lower performance than surgical masks in terms of filtration and sealing, they generally offer better qualities of comfort and 'breathability'," she assures us.

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