The World Health Organization (WHO) was concerned that the use of a mask by the general public to respond to corona19 could endanger the amount of medical staff to use.

WHO secretary-general of the world, Edwards Adhanom Gerberus, said in a video press briefing held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland (local time).

"We know that medical masks help protect medical staff, but (masks) are in short supply worldwide," he said. "Medical masks should give priority to medical staff at the forefront."

"The mass use of medical masks by the general public can exacerbate the lack of these special masks for those who need it most," he said. "In some places, these shortages are actually putting the medical staff at risk."

However, he emphasized, "If you wear a mask, you should use it safely and properly."

He said, "We encourage countries that are considering wearing the masks of the general public to study its effectiveness so that we can all learn."

He added, "The mask alone cannot prevent the corona19 pandemic." Most importantly, the mask should be used as part of a comprehensive (corona19 response) action package. "