The use of N95/KN95 facemasks for long periods is harmful to health, the deputy director of the Conde de São Januário Hospital Center, Dr. Lei Wai Seng said yesterday at the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center press briefing.
The N95/KN95 facemasks are the only masks currently authorized by the local health authorities: their use is mandatory whenever citizens leave their homes during the confinement period. Responding to a media inquiry, Lei said, “The use of a KN95 mask for long periods is not adequate and not healthy for anyone. This is why we advise all people that is best to avoid going out, so they do not need to use it that much.”
Lei admitted that the warning and advice of the manufacturers is real and that continued use of the N95 and KN95 has been studied enough to conclude that there are harmful effects.
“Masks with more protection against the virus, like the KN95, require some rest periods between use. Even for our physicians and frontline workers, we need to ensure that they work in shifts and have enough time to recover. We need to ensure they have enough rest,” Lei said, remarking that while these masks are the best way to prevent transmission, the adoption of this type of personal protection equipment is “a lesser of two evils.”
“It is also very hot these days and there are also other issues related to heat stroke that need to be considered [as they can be aggravated by the mask use].”
Research done since 2020 by several countries has concluded that the prolonged use of N95/KN95, as well as surgical masks by healthcare professionals, during Covid-19 has “caused adverse effects such as headaches, rash, acne, skin breakdown, and impaired cognition in the majority of those surveyed,” academic papers published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology have noted.
Older studies in China point to similar outcomes in research done since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003-2004. These studies focused on the effects of prolonged use of the equipment during the SARS outbreak and were published in subsequent years.
No new prosecutions yesterday, tally at 27
Information from the Unitary Police Services (SPU) noted that until 3 p.m. yesterday, the police forces have not issued any new accusations for the prosecution of citizens breaching infectious diseases law.
At the center’s press briefing, the representative of the SPU, Cheong Kin Ian, announced that while new 542 warnings have been issued by officers patrolling the city, none resulted in further prosecution.
Since the law began to be enforced on July 11, the different police forces involved have filed for the prosecution of a total of 27 people. All the cases reported were related to the failure to wear or improper use of mandatory KN95 facemasks when engaging in activities in public spaces.
A large majority of the cases filed were also linked to smoking on public streets.
Although the topic has attracted significant criticism and media attention, no recorded instances of people being prosecuted for walking their dogs outside have been found, despite the fact that dog walking was not said to be considered essential, and is therefore illegal in the eyes of the Public Security Police Force.
