COVID-19: FG urges Nigerians to make their own face masks

As a result of global shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), especially the dearth in the availability of face masks, the federal government has encouraged Nigerians to improvise with homemade face masks, handkerchiefs or scarfs, to shield themselves from contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

According to him, “We are recommending the use of face masks but are not saying it is compulsory. One additional way to protect against infection is the use of face mask and it includes also the improvised homemade face mask or anything that cover your face, even a handkerchief or a scarf.

“It does not have to be hospital-grade, medical grade or surgical grade; you can make your own and preferably, in fact, your mask can be washable, ironed and reused.

“The purpose of that mask is to shield you and shield your opposite because if anyone is emitting any kind of droplets or particles, that is, if someone is coughing or sneezing, they push out articles and droplets which can travel in certain distance and be able to infected somebody who is less than two meters away.