As part of efforts to prevent Nigerians from contracting the rampaging Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has advised Nigerians to wear a face mask, including improvised ones, while at public places.
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The Minister, while fielding questions at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing said that the use of face masks is an additional way to protect oneself against the virus.
Ehanire said:
An additional way thought to protect against corona infection is the use of face masks, and it includes improvised and homemade face masks or face covering with handkerchiefs or scarves.
A layered cotton fabric over the mouth and nose guards against particle emission during laughter, exclamation or loud talk and may offer mutual protection to wearers, especially where social distancing may not be achieved, or where close contact may not be avoided with certainty, such as markets.
He also said persons without the N95 or surgical masks could make use of homemade face masks, handkerchiefs or scarfs.
He, however, appealed that the local masks must be properly washed every evening with warm water, dried and further ironed to kill any virus that may have settled on the mask.
He said:
The one many of us are using here are single-use which we have to throw away but you don’t need that for day to day activities.
The homemade ones must be washed every evening, preferably with warm water and then dried and ironed.”
If you do that, it is safe to reuse it the next day. We are making that a recommendation and particularly stretching it to those who handle food,” he said.
So far, 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have confirmed at least a case of COVID-19 bringing the total to 343.
Lagos State has now reported 187 cases, followed by FCT – 56, Osun – 20, Edo -14, Oyo – 11, Ogun – 9, Bauchi and Kaduna – 6, Akwa Ibom and Katsina – 5, Enugu, Ekiti, Rivers has two cases each, Kwara – 4, Kano, Ondo and Delta, have 3 cases each, while Niger, Benue and Anambra have recorded one case each.