The Uganda Medical Association -UMA has warned on the use of cloth masks on both health workers and the general population in preventing the spread of COVID-19 as portrayed worldwide.
The medical body has, believes that cloth masks do not necessarily protect against the novel virus and their use might instead cause more harm.
Dr Mukuzi Muhereza, the General Secretary of the Uganda Medical Association explained that the use of cloth masks mostly prevents people from touching soft parts like the mouth, eyes, and nose that are susceptible to the virus but cannot stop aerosols-air particles, from entering the mouth or nose.
The doctor says following growing evidence that COVID -19 can be contracted from the air as well, the cloth mask has big particles that would still let the contaminated air through them rendering them unsafe.
According to a 2015 study by a scientific journal- BMJ Open Access in New Zealand, the rate of infections was high among cloth masks because they retain moisture and do not offer proper filtration of air.
Uganda has registered another 54 confirmed cases of the COVID19 with addition on Sunday evening.
The confirmed case is among the 169 people tested on Sunday by the Uganda Virus Research Institute-UVRI, according to the ministry of health.
The Health Minister, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, said while Uganda had registered one more case, the release of four patients from Entebbe is good news.
To date, more than 3000 COVID-19 tests have been carried out by the Health Ministry.
