Expert talks the effectiveness of wearing face masks

BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – Wearing face masks have become a social norm amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Face masks are regarded as the main weapon in the fight against the coronavirus. But many are wondering how useful are face masks during this time? And who do the masks protect the most?

“When you’re walking you do not know if you’re going to run into someone who is a potential carrier. So if you’re walking in a crowded place and you walk by someone really close and they sneeze or cough unexpectedly and that’s when we say if you yourself protected by wearing a mask,” said Dr. Anye Amjad.

A healthy person wearing a mask still has a 70% chance of catching the virus. Those chances drop to 1.5 percent if both are wearing a mask.

“Those percentages aren’t as important. As we’re standing a little close together what if you accidentally sneezed, of course, you might try to cover yourself but what if you didn’t do it in time then I would want to have this mask,” said Amjad.

So it’s best to wear a mask even if you don’t have symptoms to help keep others safe.

“That’s my recommendation they are useful right now because right now we have symptomatic carriers. We don’t know who’s carrying COVID-19 and the workplace is opening up and we want to keep it open and everything steady so it is recommended to wear right now if you can tolerate it,” said Amjad.

Dr. Amjad says a dirty mask is just as effective as not wearing one at all.

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