Coronavirus: Not everyone needs to wear a mask says fresh health ministry guidelines

New Delhi, Mar 17: Coronavirus has claimed its 3rd life in India. In the wake this highly contagious infection, the government has taken drastic measures such as imposing travel bans and issuing several advisories.

Now the health ministry has issued a fresh set of guidelines on wearing the masks. The guideline says that not all need to wear a mask.

Wear a mask if:

• You have symptoms (cough, fever or difficulty in breathing)
• You are caring for COVID-19 suspect or confirmed patient
• You are a health worker attending to patients with respiratory symptoms

How to wear the mask:

• Unfold the pleats of the mask, make sure they are facing down
• Change the mask after six hours or soon as it becomes wet
• Place the mask over your nose, mouth, chin and ensure that there are no gaps on either side of the mask. Adjust to fit.
• Never reuse disposable masks. Dispose the masks in closed bins after disinfecting them.
• Avoid touching the mask while using it
• Do not touch the potentially contaminated outer surface of the mask while removing it
• Do not leave the mask hanging from the neck
• After removal of the mask, clean your hands with soap and water or use alcohol based hand run disinfectant