How effective the mask is to prevent swine flue.......

Indiscriminate use of a face masks to prevent Swine flu virus can cause more harm than good, say medical experts.

Panicking over the growing numbers of swine flu cases, several people have begun wearing disposable face masks in crowded areas to avoid catching the virus. But, medical practitioners warn that this, in fact, would spread the virus faster.

Disposable masks have a life of four hours and need to be changed periodically especially if they get wet. Tanu Singhal, paediatrics and tropical & infectious diseases specialist at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital said: “We do not recommend that people wear masks unless they are at home with a sick person or in a hospital. The mask has very limited uses and serve no purpose when worn on the roads or in the train.”

Reuse of the masks can spread the infection especially if not disposed of properly or if worn more than once. “When people wear the mask in a public place and then enter a house or an office, they could be spread the infection. The only time they should use a mask is if they have a cough themselves. And its important the masks are properly disposed of,” Ms Singhal said.

Hemant Thacker, consulting physician at Jaslok and Breach Candy Hospital said: “Wearing a mask too tight can cause it to get wet because of the spit. There is no need to use a mask at this stage. If people want to use masks while travelling, ensure that it is dry, store it in a bag and change the mask after a maximum of four trips”.

With reports of increased use of disposable masks and the government planning to import more to meet demand, doctors are worried that lack of awareness might complicate the situation further.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/You-still-may-catch-the-virus-wearing-mask/articleshow/4883644.cms