THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently stating that the Coronavirus ‘may never go away’, the health experts are coming out with more tips to counter the virus threat. Dr Raju Kumar K, a former epidemiologist with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has said using medicated masks and gloves is the more effective way to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
According to him, the lockdown and WHO’s guidelines have been a total failure and didn’t yield the desired results and inflicted huge damage on the economy across the globe. “We are chasing an unseen enemy and humans are the source of infection and the deadly virus spreads mainly through the mouth and nose. A simple 3- or 4-layer medicated mask with effective viricidal antiseptic and antiseptic coated gloves are the only way to prevent its spread,” said Raju Kumar.
He observed that Vietnam is the only country that took similar measures and effectively controlled the epidemic. “Their face mask has a biodegradable viricidal filter inside. The mask is washable and reusable while the filter does not need to be washed and but can be replaced after 30 days. Vietnam was able to destroy 95 per cent of the virus by using these masks and gloves,” Raju Kumar added.
There is no need to shut down a country and people can commute or fly wearing the antiseptic mask and gloves. He said that wearing these masks helps reduce the viral load that gets into another person and depending on one’s immune status the viral particle would be destroyed. According to him, medicated masks destroy 90 per cent of the virus and whatever remains in our mouth and nose can be prevented from transmission by using an antiseptic-coated glove.