not ill? then wearing a mask is 'a poor use of a very limited resource'

healthy people don’t need face masks, say doctors and public health officials. period. they say wearing them is a poor use of a limited resource. they say most people wear them improperly. and they say wearing face masks could lead to a false sense of security.and yet the run on these masks continues, unabated, in montreal-area pharmacies, propelled by fears about a spread to these parts of the coronavirus that has declared itself in more than 60 countries since december — despite the fact that the pharmaprix website says that “face masks are not recommended for healthy people to protect against coronavirus.”meanwhile, a montreal woman who tested positive for the new respiratory infection, known as covid-19, after returning from iran last week was admitted tuesday to the jewish general hospital for a “medical evaluation,” the hospital confirmed tuesday afternoon. neither public health nor hospital officials provided details, but the jewish general is the designated centre in montreal for adult cases of covid-19 considered serious enough to require admission, as reporters were told monday in a tour of the hospital facility intended for these patients.to date, the woman is quebec’s only confirmed case, her close contacts have been identified “and montreal now has no community transmission,” dr. paul le guerrier of the infectious disease unit of montreal’s public health department said on tuesday. “people shouldn’t be scared that if they go out shopping or on the métro that they may encounter coronavirus.”but even if covid-19 were more widespread — canada has 30 confirmed cases — masks would not add much protection.“they trap some droplets in the air that carry viral particles, but they quickly become saturated and, unless they’re hermetically sealed, they do not provide anywhere near total protection,” dr. jeremy brown, director of the office of emergency care research at the national institutes of health, wrote last week in the online magazine tablet.wearing a mask when you’re not ill or at risk for developing symptoms may give you a false sense of security, according to the public health agency of canada.“masks can easily become contaminated and need to be changed frequently and fitted properly for them to provide adequate protection,” it said.french president emmanuel macron announced tuesday that stocks and production of face masks have been “requisitioned” by the state to be distributed to health professionals and people with covid-19. and the world health organization director warned against “hoarding and misuse” of a depleting stock of masks.“you should not wear a mask if you have no symptoms,” dr. yves longtin, chair of the jewish general’s infection prevention and control unit, said during monday’s visit. “it’s a poor use of a very limited resource. we have to save masks … to make sure that people who are sick or health-care workers have them.”human coronaviruses, which cause infections of the nose, throat and lungs ranging from the cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome, are most commonly spread through droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person, through close personal contact, such as shaking hands, and touching something with the virus on it and then touching your face before washing your hands.the best protections against them are those prescribed for avoiding flu, common cold and other viruses, according to the public health agency of canada: washing your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; not touching your face with unwashed hands; avoiding close contact with anyone sick; coughing or sneezing into your sleeve; and staying home if you’re sick.keep at least two metres between you and someone you think could be infectious, le guerrier advised, and the less time you spend near someone infectious, the better.for those who are sick, a mask can help prevent the spread of those tiny droplets to others, he said — if it is worn properly. that means washing your hands thoroughly before donning it, ensuring it covers your nose and mouth completely, that there is no space between the mask and your skin and that you don’t touch the mask once it’s on your face. even then, the mask is only good until it becomes damp, which can take only 20 to 30 minutes of breathing into it, le guerrier said. and it must be removed properly by grasping only the elastic, not the mask, and then washing your hands again, thoroughly.sschwartz@postmedia.com