in which cases should you wear a sanitary mask?

While the coronavirus epidemic has taken on a new dimension in recent days in Europe around the outbreak of contamination in Italy, Olivier Véran, the new French Minister of Health, detailed this Monday the measures to be respected to avoid the spread of the Chinese virus, explaining that only people who have stayed in risk areas were affected by wearing a sanitary mask.

“The wearing of the surgical mask (the simple anti-projection mask) is recommended only for people who have stayed in China, Singapore, South Korea, Lombardy, Veneto, for the 14 days following their return,” said Olivier Véran at his daily press conference, during which he announced that‘there was no longer any hospitalized patient’ on French territory.

“Massive stocks of surgical masks”

The sanitary mask “is also more than recommended for the sick in order to avoid the spread of the disease by air,” he continued. “The wearing of the mask by the non-sick population who have not traveled to risk areas is not recommended because its effectiveness has not been demonstrated”.

The minister then said that “France (has) massive stocks of surgical masks” in case “we need to distribute them”, before specifying that he had “launched orders to have millions of masks FFP2, masks with a high level of technicality “.

“These masks are personal protective equipment intended for professionals brought into close contact with a confirmed patient: all carers, firefighters, paramedics,” he explained to the press.

“On these masks, we have strategic stocks at the same time in hospitals, in a certain number of liberal cabinets and in the services of the State”, wanted to reassure Olivier Véran.

The Minister of Health then recalled “the barrier measures” to be respected to avoid the spread of the virus, which are the same as for the seasonal flu episode, namely: “cough in his elbow, use single-use tissues , wear a mask when you are sick and wash your hands regularly. “

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