WHO Okays Wearing Of Masks Where Handwashing, Distancing Difficult

The WHO on Monday said asking the general public to wear facemasks could be justified in areas where hand-washing and physical distancing were difficult, but warned masks alone could not stop the coronavirus pandemic.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 70,000 people, while more than 1.2 million people have tested positive for the new coronavirus. A vaccine is thought to be at least a year away.

“Countries could consider using masks in communities where other measures such as cleaning hands and physical distancing are harder to achieve because of lack of water or cramped living conditions,” Tedros told a virtual briefing in Geneva.

The World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he understood that some countries had recommended or were considering the use of both medical and non-medical masks in the general population to prevent the spread of the virus.

However, he stressed that the mass use of medical masks could exacerbate the shortage of protective equipment for healthcare workers, saying some were now facing “real danger”.

He said that outside of health facilities, medical masks were recommended for those who were sick, and their carers.

Meanwhile, in a move to further create awareness on Coronavirus, the World Health Organization has teamed up with US superstar Lady Gaga to launch a giant coronavirus awareness concert on April 18 entitled “One World: Together at Home”.

The free online performances are billed as a “global broadcast and digital special to support frontline healthcare workers” and the WHO.

The gig will feature stars including Andrea Bocelli, Chris Martin, David Beckham, Elton John, John Legend, Keith Urban, Lang Lang, Paul McCartney, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan and Stevie Wonder