IDI Recommends 2 Layer Cloth Masks For Under 60 Years Of Age

Illustration of a mother wearing a mask (Photo: Aditya Pradana Putra / Antara)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Doctors' Association (IDI) recommends that the use of two-layer cloth masks should be used by healthy people under 60 years of age and not experiencing cough or cold symptoms.

"It is recommended to wear a two-layer mask for healthy people under 60 years of age," said the Chairman of the IDI for South Jakarta, M Yadi Permana, when contacted in Jakarta, as reported by Antara, Wednesday, November 4.

Yadi said the use of a 2-layer cloth mask was in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). Medical masks should be used by health workers.

The use of disposable medical masks is also recommended for people who are patients or people who have cough or cold symptoms. However, the number of uses of medical masks must be 3 layers.

"Because the two-three-layer cloth mask cannot completely withstand the droplets caused by coughs or colds," said the Tumor Surgeon at Fatmawati Hospital, South Jakarta.

According to Yadi, many people still use medical or disposable masks due to financial or economic problems.

However, over time, after education to the public, the use of two-layer cloth masks can replace medical masks.

Now, he continued, the use of cloth masks has been widely used by the community, but it is not recommended to wear a one-layer mask like a scuba mask.

"Because the scuba mask is not effective in preventing transmission through droplets, because of one layer. It's a different story if two layers are enough to reduce droplets," he said.

Yadi also appealed to people who are in good health and under 60 years of age to use double-layered cloth masks and reduce the use of single-use medical masks, to reduce medical waste that does not decompose properly in the environment.

The National Standardization Agency (BSN) has set the Indonesian national standard (SNI) for the use of cloth masks. Cloth masks that comply with the standard have at least two layers of cloth to prevent the spread of the corona virus.

According to Yadi, the recommendation to use a double layer cloth mask for those under 60 years old is related to the ability of filtration (filtering). Because the two-layer mask has a filtration ability of 0.70 percent to 60 percent.

The higher the mask filtration, the more effective the layer of cloth will be to resist viruses. The mask with 100 percent nylon and polyester lining material when folded in half provides 2-5 times higher filtration than one layer alone. The filtration rate is increased to sevenfold when the two fabrics are divided into four layers.

"But the thicker we use a cloth mask, the more difficult it is to breathe, so the use of 2-3 layers of filtration is recommended for young people who have no symptoms of illness," said Yadi.