Coronavirus Alert! Should I wear a mask to protect myself?

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic was confirmed to have spread to India on 30 January 2020 from China. There have since been more than 80 confirmed cases in the country, with many of them having travel history either with Italy or the Middle East. 

Amid the virus spread it is important that people should follow basic hygiene like washing hands frequently and avoid touching face, nose and eyes. 

There is also a confusion among people whether they should wear a mask in order to be protect themselves from the virus. So here's the answer;

Only wear a mask if you are ill with COVID-19 symptoms (especially coughing) or looking after someone who may have COVID-19. Disposable face mask can only be used once. If you are not ill or looking after someone who is ill then you are wasting a mask. There is a world-wide shortage of masks, so World Health Organization urges people to use masks wisely.

WHO advises rational use of medical masks to avoid unnecessary wastage of precious resources and mis-use of masks.

The most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to frequently clean your hands, cover your cough with the bend of elbow or tissue and maintain a distance of at least 1 meter (3 feet) from people who are coughing or sneezing.