Paris (AFP)

Faced with the spread of coronavirus, masks and gloves have almost become trendy, "just in case". But for the general population, wearing them is not necessarily effective, and can even promote contamination, warn experts.

Monday in Paris, just before the entry into force of an unprecedented containment, it was easy to meet on the sidewalks of mask wearers, simple surgical mask or mask with high level of protection called FFP2.

"Wearing a mask can prevent you from spreading the disease to someone else," recently said Dr. Mike Ryan, director of emergency programs for the United Nations. But "there are limits as to the ability of the mask to protect you from contamination", he added, ensuring, however, "not to criticize those who wear masks".

The instructions are all the more important as these objects of prevention are necessary for health personnel and that the WHO, which estimates that it would take 89 million masks per month in the fight against Covid-19, has alerted against a "rapid depletion" of protective equipment worldwide.

But the message does not seem to get across to everyone.

"I am surprised to see through the window of my ministry the number of people who are on the street with masks (...) when this does not correspond to recommendations," said French Minister of Health Olivier on Monday Véran, also denouncing "thefts in hospitals".

"I am not sick, but I have children and an elderly mother, so in case I prefer to wear a mask," said AFP Mariam, 35, by closing the door of her car with a hand gloved with white latex.

- "False sense of security" -

The mother, who prefers not to give her name, admits having had her mask worn by "the mother of a friend who works in a hospital", while some caregivers complain that they cannot get it.

Beyond penalizing doctors or nurses on the front line in the fight against the epidemic, wearing a mask can have a counterproductive effect because the rules of use and elimination are strict:: wash your hands before, install on the face without the air can pass, do not touch the mask once it is in place or wash your hands immediately if this is the case ...

But "people are all the time manipulating their mask (...) and it is potentially by manipulating it that they become infected, since by chance if we have crossed the virus, there is virus on the mask ", explained the Director General of Health in France Jérôme Salomon.

And the risk is similar for gloves.

"If people keep touching their faces, (the gloves) are useless," said Dr Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in the United States, AFP said.

The virus is not transmitted through the skin, but when the hand (or glove) transfers infected droplets to the nose or mouth.

However, according to a study published in 2015 in the journal American Journal of Infection Control, one would touch the face about twenty times each hour.

In addition, "wearing gloves can give people a false sense of security," insists Dr. Adalja, noting that hospital gloves, not intended for everyday use, can tear.

And in addition "if you wear gloves, you can no longer wash your hands," notes Olivier Véran.

An obstacle that does not stop Oriane, 32 years old. "I clean the gloves," says the young business manager, mimicking in the street the friction of his blue disposable gloves.

© 2020 AFP