1. The US Centers for Disease Control CDC) recommends that children (and adults) NOT wear face masks at this time. Facemasks are the hallmark of coronavirus disease. Pictures from China show that even the very young are bedecked with them. However, wearing facemasks makes sense only where and when person to person spread is prevalent and ongoing, as in China, not where spread is minimal, as is presently the case in the US and most other countries.. The reasons for not wearing facemasks are discussed below. Also discussed are the rare exceptions to this rule.
2. The CDC is also advising parents against stocking up on face masks for “just in case.” Parents are buying masks helter-skelter with little understanding regarding which kind to buy and how and when to use them. Retailers are running out of masks, even ones that offer no protection. Some American children are already wearing masks.
3. The US government says it has huge stockpiles of face masks for children and adults. The government has storage facilities holding drugs and supplies in the case of bioterrorism, nuclear attack or outbreaks of serious infectious diseases.
4. The optimal masks for preventing coronavirus-type diseases are not suitable for young children. These are N95 respirator masks and are intended for healthcare professionals only. However, they can be bought by the public. Health care workers who wear them must undergo periodic “fit’ tests to assure the masks fit tightly around the mouth and nose to prevent air from the outside entering. They block out more than 95% of the small airborne particles that spread viruses from person to person. These masks are somewhat uncomfortable to wear and may make breathing slightly labored.
5. Most masks commonly worn by children (and adults) are surgical masks. These were specifically designed to protect surgeons from being contaminated by splatter from the surgical field, not to provide protection from infectious diseases. The masks fit loosely around the edges, allowing some unfiltered air – and any viruses that may be present in that air – to enter the mouth and nose of the wearer. However, the masks are fairly comfortable to wear, even for prolonged periods of time. Surgical masks are available online for young children.
6. Surgical-type face masks provide very limited protection against coronavirus-type illnesses, says WHO (World Health Organization). Protectiveness depends on how masks fit, how much of the time they are worn, whether children are cooperative with wearing them, the concentration of viruses in the air and numerous other factors.
7. The time and effort parents spend in teaching and enforcing proper mask wearing could be better used in teaching children simpler and more effective protective measures. (See #8 ) Few children are compliant with mask-wearing and become less so as the novelty of wearing them wears off. They remove them, pull them away from their faces or place their fingers under them. The younger the child the more difficult it is to have them wear masks.
8. Presently, the CDC recommends wearing face masks for only a small number of children. This includes (1) children sick with the virus, (2) children believed to have been exposed to someone sick with the virus (3) and children living in such households. For other children in countries where coronavirus disease activity is only minimal children should be taught the following: proper handwashing techniques, how to cough and sneeze into disposable tissues and how to dispose of those tissues, to stay away from sick individuals, and to stay home when sick. And, of course, parents must keep up with the news.
9. Check that the face masks you purchase are designed to protect against coronavirus-type illnesses. Many other types of masks are on the market. For information, contact your local health department or health care professionals. Also check with the manufacturers of masks on the internet. There are masks for protection against “pollution”, cold weather, and allergies, to mention just a few. There are masks which are just for fun and play and kits for children to make their own masks. Some masks should be used only once, others claim to be reusable. There are cotton masks said to be rewashable.
10. Assist children in removing their masks lest they contaminate themselves in the process. Remove masks as gently as possible so as not to disturb minute liquid and solid particles on the mask. Place masks in a plastic bag, preferably in a zip lock bag. Secure bag tightly, Place bag in a waste disposal unit. Wash hands thoroughly immediately.
