The trendy Coppermask brand of face proection "might not be that good" in halting the spread of COVID-19 because of the hole in its chin portion, an official of the Department of Health said Monday.
Masks should be fitted to the wearer's face and should have no gaps, said Rodley Carza, chief of the DOH’s Policy and Technology Division.
Authorities are reminding the public on proper mask wearing as Metro Manila battles a surge in infections. Earlier Monday, the country's treatment czar, DOH Usec. Leopoldo Vega urged people to consider double masks.
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"Tayo po sa DOH we don’t recommend masks that have gaps sa gilid ng ating mask, sa taas or ilalim po. We are aware po that the Coppermask has a slit or butas po sa ilalim ng baba so it might not be that good of a mask for COVID-19 prevention," Vega said.
Vega was asked during a live briefing about social media influencers who hype Coppermask. On TikTok, some Coppermask users slip straws into the hole in the bottom.
"We highly recommend that we use masks that are properly fitted sa inyong mukha at walang gaps in between your nose, dito sa gilid ng ating mukha at sa ilalim ng ating baba," he said.