‘No need for panic buying of masks’

There was no need for panic buying of surgical masks and not every person going on the street needs to wear it, said Dr. Lavanya Nutan Kalva, who heads the infectious diseases wing at Apollo hospitals here.

With scores of people, including school children wearing the protective masks in the wake of the spread of A (H1N1) influenza virus, she said that family members of swine flu patients, first care providers, doctors and patients need to protect themselves and not others.

There was no need for students in schools and colleges to wear the masks.

But there was an absolute need to provide good ventilation in the classrooms as the virus would circulate longer in the air in a closed room if a sick child sneezes or coughs. “ It is the intensity of the exposure and the period of exposure that matters. A good flow of air reduces viral burden,” Dr. Lavanya added.

Besides, most of the time, the surgical masks get moist around the lips and nose and they fail to give adequate protection at that point of time.

Also, a mask once removed for drinking tea or coffee must not be re-used.

She said that covering nose and mouth with a handkerchief would not be helpful either.

However, the surgical masks were good in protecting against droplet infections like the ones caused by A (H1N1) influenza virus, where the size of particle was greater than 10 microns.

Air-borne isolation masks like N-95 were useful in protecting against particles of five microns and less in size. She reiterated that no parent should send a sick child with flu-like symptoms to school.

A person must return to school or work only there were no symptoms for at least for 24 hours, she said.