Almost 50 Percent of Indians Still Don’t Wear Face Mask, Ministry of Health Survey Finds

The second wave of coronavirus pandemic in India has witnessed a more aggressive nature of the infection. As the medical community continues to treat thousands of patients with severe symptoms of Covid-19, there are some basic healthy habits that can be followed to keep us safe.

The importance of wearing a face mask or a double mask as recommended by health officials in the country can keep us from contracting the virus. However, the Union health ministry on Thursday revealed that around half of the country’s population does not wear a mask. It further said in its briefing that only 14 percent of the population wears the mask correctly.

The government cited the numbers based on a study that was conducted in 25 cities. In its briefing the Joint Secretary said that among half of the population who wear a mask, 64 percent just cover their mouth but not nose, which is one of the main entry points of the coronavirus infection. Covering the mouth and nose is the main purpose of wearing a face mask. While 20 percent of that 50 percent population wears the face mask on their chin and then there are two percent of that group who have the mask on the neck. It is important for the population to understand the gravity of the situation that is being faced by the country at the moment. If you are wearing a face mask then make sure that it is covering your nose, mouth, chin.

In the latest advisory issued by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Centre, K Vijay Raghavan, a combination of double masking and cross ventilation could curb the spread of all variants of Covid by as much as 80% in the next 20-30 days. It is also recommended that people start wearing double masks, with one of them being an N-95 mask. Considering the new variant of coronavirus in the country, double masking can prove effective at controlling the spread of infection.

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