CORONAVIRUS | Malaysians need not wear face masks to avoid the Wuhan virus as of yet, said Sungai Buloh Hospital's resident infectious diseases consultant.
Dr Benedict Sim (above) said masks are not yet necessary as there have been no local transmissions of the virus among Malaysians.
"So that's why we are not yet recommending the population use masks routinely... (however) that advice may change if the outbreak changes.
"If that suddenly changes to human to human transmission within the Malaysian population, and it's happening among the general public, I think yes, that advice is going to change," he said at a media briefing on the novel coronavirus in Putrajaya today.
Sim said as of now, it is only advisable to uses masks when visiting China.
If masks are to be worn, he said three-ply surgical masks are a good choice, if they are changed every few hours. Single-ply masks are not advisable as they become moist very quickly.
N95 masks are also not necessary, as the virus is currently spread through droplets and is not yet airborne, Sim added.
The spray of droplets when a person coughs, he said, does not linger in the air long before it falls, and three-ply surgical masks can protect from this.
The Health Ministry advised Malaysians to maintain good hygiene and wash their hands frequently to avoid infection.
Thus far, all eight cases of coronavirus in the country involve China nationals.
Eighty-one people, including 41 Malaysians have tested negative for the virus.
Twenty-seven others who had come into close contact with those infected, have also tested negative.
Five people, including three Malaysians, are still being tested for the virus.
The Wuhan virus has killed 170 people in China thus far. Beijing has placed Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province under lockdown.
Malaysia has also temporarily suspended entry for all Chinese nationals from Wuhan and Hubei in an effort to limit the number of cases in the country. - Mkini
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