“…countries that produced medical materials, including masks, had banned their exportation because they too needed them.”
The Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu has said Nigeria would give priority to health workers at isolation centres and laboratories, as well as senior citizens of the county on the use of face masks.
The NCDC boss stated this at a press conference in the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday.
While addressing newsmen, he said that with a shortage of personal protective equipment around the world, Nigeria would give priority to health workers at isolation centres and laboratories, as well as senior citizens on the use of face masks.
He said, “It (use of masks) has been a controversial topic, but it does not have to be. The number of cases from over the world has risen to over two million with over 100,000 deaths of a disease that none of us knows about. The scale of the disease outbreak and response has to radically increase and the aspect of mask is one of them.
“On the other hand, there is a reality that we face. There is a chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment, including masks, around the world. The world was not prepared for a pandemic of this scale. We have to prioritise certain part of our population.
“Fifty per cent of the world masks are produced by China that has been locked down for months. They are now restarting their production and thankfully, some of those things are coming out.”
He said countries that produced medical materials, including masks, had banned their exportation because they too needed them.
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Ihekweazu also announced guidelines for wearing and use of face masks, saying it should be combined with social distancing and regular hand washing.
“Wearing of a mask is not a protection against COVID-19 unless it is combined with other measures such as physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene. We particularly recommend these (masks) for senior citizens over the age of 60, especially those that have hypertension, diabetes.
“Many of us live with comfortably with these (diabetes and hypertension), but because we are in an additional risk of having severe incidence of this disease (COVID-19) so we will like to offer that additional level of protection.
“It is critical that we learn how to properly put them (masks) on and off by hands. We don’t need to touch the inside of the masks,” he said.
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