FIVE questions – and answers – on face masks

Q: Do you really need to wear a face mask in the present situation?

The Public Health Ministry: Patients or sickly persons should wear a mask all the time. Those who are healthy don’t need to wear one except when among a community or crowed area.
Medical Services Department director-general Somsak Akkslip: Healthy people who visit crowded areas or use public transportation or go to a hospital or visit high-risk areas should wear face masks. If you stay in your house or in an open space you do not need one.
Thiravat Hemachudha, head of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital’s Centre for Emerging Diseases: Doctors and nurses are normally required to wear face masks under sanitation standards. But people carry the risk of contracting body fluid droplets from others in a 1-2-metre radius via the mouth or nasal mucosa.
WHO Thailand: Wearing medical masks is one of the preventive measures to limit the spread of respiratory diseases, which includes the new type of coronavirus. The use of masks alone is not enough to protect one fully. Therefore, it’s also necessary to wash one’s hands.
The World Health Organisation does not recommend the use of masks for healthy people unless such a person has to take care of another with respiratory symptoms.

Q: Which type of face mask can prevent contracting the virus?

Public Health Ministry: Fabric masks, surgical face masks, or N95 masks.
Communicable Diseases Institute director Dr Sopon Iamsirithawon: For a healthy person, a fabric mask is enough. When the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic occurred in 2009, we also suggested using fabric masks.
For those with pneumonia, use a surgical mask which has blue or green on one side. When wearing a face mask, the patient should flip the coloured side to face out as the white side can absorb water, nasal fluids and saliva. Adjust the mask to fit your face – do not forget to pinch the wire to fit your nose securely and pull the mask down to cover your chin. N95 masks are more suited for medical teams who have to take care of patients and need maximum protection.
WHO Thailand: For suitable protection, wear a surgical mask.

Q: Can I re-use the mask?

Public Health Ministry: Fabric masks can be washed and re-used. A surgical mask is made for single use only.
Department of Health director-general Panpimol Wipulakorn: Physically fit people and those not in crowded areas or not taking public transportation don’t need to wear a mask. A healthy person can also protect himself/herself by wearing a clean cloth mask. The advantages of the cloth mask is to help prevent ingestion of large dust particles. It can also be washed and re-used and even sewn by yourself if need be. 
WHO Thailand: Medical masks should not be used again and again. These masks must be discarded after they are used once.

Q: Can you make your own mask? 
Public Health Ministry: Yes.
WHO Thailand: Not specified. But it is not recommended to use a cloth mask (such as one from cotton or mesh cloth) instead of a surgical mask.

Q: Which side of the mask should face outside?
Public Health Ministry: Flip the coloured side to face out and use the side with the wire edge up. Secure the mask in place.
WHO Thailand: Health management suggests masks should be worn carefully, covering your mouth and nose. Tighten the mask strap and attach the mask to your face as tight as possible to reduce the gap between the face and the mask.