The UGM Academic Hospital Specialist Doctor for the Ear, Nose, Throat, Head, Neck, dr. Mahatma Sotya Bawono, M.Sc., Sp. ENT-KL emphasized that scuba masks were ineffective in protecting ourselves from the coronavirus transmission that causes Covid-19.
"Scuba masks have the smallest effectiveness; it has only around 0-5 percent. Therefore, they are not sufficient for protection," explained the man familiarly called Boni on Friday (18/9).
This fact means that using a scuba mask is less effective in protecting the users' nose and mouth area from contact with splashes, droplets, or particles exposed to the coronavirus. Therefore, he does not recommend using a scuba mask as a protective tool from coronavirus transmission.
"It is not recommended to use scuba or buff masks because the ability of their filtration is very small. People are advised to wear a 3-layer cloth mask, which has 50-70 percent particle filtering effectiveness," he continued.
He also added that scuba masks are made of a thin, stretchy material consisting of only one cloth layer. Besides, the elastic material makes masks tend to loosen when people wear them.
"The material of this kind of mask is elastic so that the fibers or pores of the mask become loose or enlarge. So, even though using multiple scuba layers, it will be useless because it is stretchy," Boni explained.
Then what kind of mask should the community use to protect themselves from exposure to the coronavirus? Boni revealed that using a 3-layer cloth mask will help reduce person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus.
"If used wisely and correctly, it can reduce man to man transmission," he said.
To prevent the coronavirus spread, Boni asked the public to be disciplined in adhering to health protocols. Apart from using masks made of the right materials and using the right way, people are expected to keep their distance, wash their hands with soap and water, and begin to have a clean and healthy lifestyle.
Author: Ika
Photo: shutterstock.com
Translator: Natasa A