WHO recommends against using jugular valves for …

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday released new recommendations on the use of masks and masks during the Covid-19 pandemic, and among other things discourages the use of those with valves, both among staff general population.

The new tips guide says that the user of such a mask could indeed exhale unfiltered air.

The WHO, however, continues to recommend that all health workers use medical masks (usual in operating theaters, for example) in areas at low risk of airborne contagion (by aerosols) and those with greater protection (N95, FFP2, FFP3) in high risk areas, for example care areas for patients with Covid-19.

For the general public, in areas of community transmission of the coronavirus, WHO advises the use of non-medical masks (for example, cloth ones) in indoor areas such as shops, offices or schools, if a physical distance of at least one meter between those present.

Medical masks are primarily recommended for risk groups such as the elderly and people with chronic lung disease, cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular problems, in settings where a physical distance of at least one meter cannot be guaranteed.

The use of medical masks at all times is also suggested for caregivers and others who share space with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 patients.

Likewise, the WHO does not recommend the use of face masks in children under the age of five, while in those between the ages of six and eleven, it must be decided taking into account different factors, including the transmission of the disease. virus in the community, the ability of children to wear masks and the social and cultural environment. In children over 12 years old, the same recommendations apply as in adults.

Finally, the international organization recommends that fabric masks be made with three layers: a waterproof exterior, an interior that allows moisture to pass through and a filtering medium.

In these masks, insists the WHO, the valves are not recommended, because they cancel the filtration and therefore “are useless for the control”.