Experts: Face masks can be washed

The ministry
of health on Sunday recommended wearing of masks in all public places, to
reduce the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Health
Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said face masks have proved useful in areas
where social distancing is compromised, containing the spread of the virus from
one person to another.

However, the
worrying trend among Kenyans is how many masks will they have to acquire –with
directives to wear a single mask for a period of about 8 hours per day and the
varied cost in the market.

Well, there
is no reason to worry more as medical experts have provided guidelines on how
to wash face masks after use, to avoid the spread of the virus.

The Centers
for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) has recommended that masks “should be
routinely washed depending on the frequency of use,” writes Fox News.

The guidance
further recommends that a washing machine should suffice in properly washing a
face covering.

According to
Dr. William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious
Diseases in Bethesda US, it is okay to put a face mask in the weekly wash.

The
California Department of Public Health recommends frequently washing masks
—after each use or daily.

Masks should
be washed with detergent and hot water; dry on a hot cycle or hot, soapy water.

Coronavirus
is transmitted from person to person on droplets from a sneeze or cough. These
droplets land on hands and other surfaces, where they are touched by others,
who then touch their own eyes, noses or mouths.

Masks block
large droplets from a sneeze or cough, thus containg the spread of the viral
flu.

Source: FoxNews