Is Double Mask Still Needed? This Is Doctor Reisa Broto's Explanation

Double Mask Illustration (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Government Spokesperson for Handling COVID-19 and Ambassador for Adaptation of New Habits, Reisa Broto Asmoro, explained the importance of obeying the recommendation for the use of double masks (double) in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Reisa, in a virtual talk show, Friday (27/8) night, said that the recommendation for the use of double masks was issued to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 delta variant virus.

"Actually, double masks are recommended because the transmission of the latest variant of the virus, namely the delta variant, is three times more contagious than the initial variant from Wuhan, China," said Reisa as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, August 28.

She said the use of medical masks alone was not enough to provide protection, because there were still open gaps on both sides that the virus could potentially enter. While cloth masks do not have good filtration.

Therefore, she considered the recommendation to use double masks to be important to adhere to. "So it's still better to double wear a medical mask and then cover it with a cloth mask that resembles the shape of the face, so it's tight," she said.

Furthermore, Reisa said, the use of masks will not affect the level of oxygen inhaled and the carbon dioxide released by the body.

"It will not affect the amount of oxygen that we take in and the carbon dioxide that comes out of this mask, unless we use plastic that has no air pores. So as long as the filtration is good it will not interfere," she said.