Use mask till Covid-19 complete eradication: Experts

KABUL (Pajhwok): Health experts have urged strict adherence to the use of mask until the complete eradication of Covid-19 virus.

Recently, people have stopped the use of mask, a practice very effective to avoid contracting the respiratory disease, according to experts.

It is pertinent to mention here that Covid-19 virus for the first time emerged in China’s Wuhan city and then spread worldwide in a short time.

Facts and figures show that hundreds of millions of people worldwide have contracted Covid-19 virus so far, with 6.3 million losing their lives to the infection.

Frequent use of face mask, washing hands regularly, maintaining social distance, avoiding gatherings, spraying antivirus liquid at homes and other residential areas are some of the primary and key approved practices that could help avoid Covid-19 infection.

Health experts’ worries

Dr. HashmatFaizi, head of the Afghan-Japan emergency section, said there is no specific medicine available for the treatment of Covid-19, the only treatment is prevention and for that purpose wearing mask, ensuring social distance, avoiding gatherings and washing hands are the most effective precautions.

He said Covid-19 could be transferred through respiration, adding that if people used masks they could not be infected by virus easily.

He termed the use of mask mandatory, saying that when Covid-19 was spreading for the first time a large number of people wore mask but currently a majority of people had ignored wearing masks.

He termed the non-use of mask by people a point to be worried about and said positive Covid-19 cases could surge.

Dr. Arif Yaqubi, another medical doctor, said the use of mask was necessary until Covid-19 is completely eradicated.

He said the transfer of Covid-19 from one person to another person through respiration was very speedy and the use of mask could prevent people from this Covid-19.

He said health experts have agreed that the use of mask was effective in the control of Covid-19, adding that besides other benefits the use of mask prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Declining mask demand

Baktash Arian, the owner of a medical store in 7^th Police District, said in the initial days when Covid-19 was spreading fast more people would buy masks and the price of mask was also high due to increasing demand.

“At that time every minute clients would come to the shop and demanded masks,” he said.

He said at this stage there is normalcy in the demand and supply of mask it is not like the first phase of Covid-19.

Javid, who wanted to buy mask, said last year they used to buy two to three dozens of masks but currently they did not buy that much.

Public views

Shabnam Yaqoubi, a resident of capital Kabul, said she and her family usually used mask in crowded places.

“We should adopt precautionary measures when it comes to curtailing the spread of Covid-19 and one of them is the use of face mask.”

The use of mask really helped curtailed the spread of Covid-19.

The fact that Covid-19 harms respiratory system, so it would be better to use mask to avoid the transfer of the virus.

But Farhad Sarfarz, a student of Kabul University, said: “When Covid-19 was incepted, people used mask due to the fear of virus but currently people don’t use it.”

“It is not interesting for me to use mask, in the past I was worried but now I am not and that’s why I don’t use mask,” he said.

Azizullah, a resident of Badghis province, said most residents of Badghis, including him, used to wear mask.

“Most people believe that Covid-19 virus is a project while some believe that Covid-19 is real and fatal.”

The Ministry of Public Health has asked people to strictly adhere to precautionary measures, including washing hands and wearing masks.

nh/ma