During a daily briefing on the latest COVID-19 update in the UAE, Dr. Farida Al Hosani, spokeswoman for the UAE health sector, recommended the use of masks.
Previously, it was announced that only those who have flu symptoms (cough and cold) are required to wear masks and will be fined. However, based on results of latest studies, wearing masks helps the spread of the virus since it is possible to be infected without showing symptoms.
In a report from Emirates News Agency, Dr. Farida Al Hosani also mentioned that in the absence of a medical mask, individuals may also cover the nose and mouth and using paper masks, or Home-made masks made of cotton or mixed cotton, making sure to re-wash them, and these masks may contribute to reducing the spread of the disease.
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Please see the update below:
All members of the UAE community are advised to wear masks for their health and safety, regardless of whether they have cold and flu symptoms, or not.
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) April 4, 2020
Below is the post from the Ministry of Health and Prevention regarding the wearing of masks:
نوصي الجميع بلبس الكمام عند الخروج، وذلك بناءً على متابعتنا المستمرة لكافةالدراسات والأبحاث، وبناءً على التوصيات الدولية، والتي أكدت مؤخراً إمكانية إصابة نسبة من الأشخاص دون ظهور أية أعراض عليهم#خلك_في_البيت#ملتزمون_يا_وطن#فيروس_كورونا_المستجد #كوفيد19
— وزارة الصحة ووقاية المجتمع الإماراتية – MOHAP UAE (@mohapuae) April 4, 2020
Below is the Translation:
We recommend everyone to wear a mask when going out, based on our continuous follow-up of all studies and research, and based on international recommendations, which recently confirmed the possibility of infecting a percentage of people without any symptoms on them.