The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday discouraged the public from using masks with valves as protection against the coronavirus disease 2109 (Covid-19), and highlighted the said mask is not registered for medical purposes.
“Hindi sila mga medical and/or surgical masks, kundi ay mga industrial masks. ‘Yan po ang ginagamit ng mga karpintero o ng mga naga-grinding,” FDA Director-General Eric Domingo said in an interview with radio station DZBB.
“So ang talagang intensyon niyan ay hindi makapasok ‘yung alikabok sa ihihinga ng tao,” he added.
Masks with valves only provide “one-way protection,” Domingo said.
“Halimbawa kung ikaw ay may sakit at suot-suot mo [yung may valve], maaring lumabas po ‘yung hininga niyo doon sa valve. Kung infection control ang pag-usapan, yung mga [masks with valves] ay hindi po para doon,” he said.
“Ang proteksyon niya one-way, eh ang gusto natin ang proteksyon ng mask ay two-way. Kung tayo ay walang sakit hindi tayo mahahawa, kung tayo ay may sakit hindi tayo manghahawa,” Domingo stressed.
Domingo said using a medical or surgical mask is still the best option. If not available, cloth masks will do.
“Sa mga ospital o sa mga naga-alaga ng may sakit, gusto po talaga natin medical or surgical use na mga masks. Pero kung everyday use, kahit naman po mga cloth masks. Mas safe pa po ang mga regular masks na walang valve,” he said.
The FDA also directed the hospitals not to allow persons wearing masks with valves to enter the vicinity.
Meanwhile, the Medical City Clinic has released an advisory banning people wearing masks with exhaust valves from entering its facilities.