WHO Warns That Masks Can Be Less Effective When It Rains

Illustration (Victor He / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization has warned that the effectiveness of masks can be reduced when worn in the rain. Health experts have also encouraged the local government to provide clear directions on the use of masks in the current rainy season.

According to the Epidemiologist from King's College London, the Spector Team told The Times that it is important to change the mask when it feels damp. "Masks need to be changed regularly and this is very important to understand in humid and wet weather," he said.

Meanwhile, a cardiologist, Aseem Malhotra added that it is clear that masks will become damp when people travel in bad weather. According to him, this has not been voiced by many policy makers. "There has not been a public campaign to make people aware that this could make their masks ineffective," he was quoted as saying by the Independent.

Previously, the WHO recommended that everyone wear a three-layer mask of material. However, recently the WHO also added that a damp mask could jeopardize one's protection from infection with the new coronavirus.

Even according to WHO, although the most effective masks like N-95, cannot resist water which can cause moisture. This of course limits safe and efficient filtering.

“All masks must be changed if they are wet or look dirty. Wet masks should not be worn for a long time. Replace the mask as soon as it is damp with a new mask that is clean and dry, ”the WHO wrote.

Meanwhile Karol Sikora, former head of the WHO's cancer program, added, "Humidity makes masks risky and therefore all types of masks are inherently vulnerable in humid weather," he explained. Therefore he also suggested that the community needs to be given clear advice by the authorities, considering that several areas have entered the rainy season.