The World Health Organisation is recommending people who are not sick with COVID-19 or caring for someone who is sick to stop wearing masks.
Officials said at a Monday briefing meeting in Switzerland that there is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any potential benefit.
In fact, there is some evidence to suggest the opposite in the misuse of wearing a mask properly or fitting it properly according to Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO health emergency program.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist with the WHO, also said that it is important to prioritize the use of masks for those who need it most, which would be frontline health care workers.
“In the community, we do not recommend the use of wearing masks unless you yourself are sick and as a measure to prevent onward spread from you if you are ill,” Van Kerkhove said
“The masks that we recommend are for people who are at home and who are sick and for those individuals who are caring for those people who are home that are sick,” she added.