The World Health Organization updated on Friday its recommendations to fight against the coronavirus, concerning the wearing of the mask, and now recommends its wearing in case of "generalized transmission" and when it is difficult to maintain a physical distance.
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"Given the evolution of the data, WHO advises governments to encourage the general public to wear masks when transmission is widespread and physical distance difficult, for example on public transport, in shops or in other places. 'other closed or very crowded environments,' said WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a virtual press conference.
A medical mask recommended for the elderly
"Secondly, in areas of community transmission, we recommend that people aged 60 years or more or those suffering from pre-existing medical conditions wear a medical mask in situations where physical distancing is not possible", a- he added.
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In areas where transmission is widespread, WHO now recommends that all people working in clinical areas of health facilities wear a medical mask, whereas until now it has only advised those who directly occupied patients with Covid-19. "This means, for example, that when a doctor goes around in a cardiology or palliative care unit, where there are no confirmed Covid-19 patients, he must still wear a medical mask", said the Director-General of WHO.
He noted that the new guidelines had been developed after examining the available data and consultations with many experts and civil society groups. He also pointed out that the masks by themselves do not protect against the virus that caused the Covid-19 pandemic.