Good day nairalanders.
Since the news broke that the first corona virus case has been reported in Nigeria the public have switched to panic mode, as a result people have been making panic decisions including panic buying.
It was reported today that a pack of face masks which use to sell for about #700 has skyrocketed to as high as 15,000 -it’s no joke- within 24 hours and trust some greedy Nigerians this could get worse if not looked into.
Now the question is, will buying a face mask -at ridiculous prices- effectively prevent you from contacting this flu?
According to researchers face mask became publicly popular in 1919 during the Spanish flu pandemic that killed about 50 million people - don’t flap COVID-19 is not as deadly- and since then has become synonymous with flu or virus outbreaks. WHO have specifically outlined measures to help you minimize the the risk of contacting corona virus, it includes:
*WASHING OF HANDS FREQUENTLY WITH SOAP AND WATER OR USE A SANITIZER GEL
*COUGHING AND SNEEZING WITH DISPOSABLE TISSUES
*PROPER DISPOSAL OF USED TISSUES
*IF YOU DON’T HAVE A TISSUE USE YOUR SLEEVE
*AVOID TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH WITH UNWASHED HANDS
*AVOID PUBLIC GATHERINGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
*AVOID CLOSE CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK.
Are you surprised why face mask wasn’t mentioned? It is because there’s in fact little evidence of benefit from their use.
If they are even to make much difference you have to wear them correctly, change them frequently ang get rid of them safely. Good luck with complying with that for a prolong period of time.
Without disputing the importance of face masks or the assurance it gives you, rather spend more time, money and energy in personal hygiene, especially hand hygiene than impulsively running after a face mask.