I’m sure that this is not the first time you’ve heard a health practitioner tell you to stop buying face masks amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.
In fact, back in January, we shared how an expert in the US also said that surgical masks aren’t needed for healthy people to prevent infection.
Needless to say, this caused a lot of netizens to be doubtful of the advice. It looks like another health practitioner is adding on to that:
US Top Doctor Urges People to Stop Buying Face Masks; Another Doctor Said It’s a ‘Psychological Thing’
A top doctor from the United States just wants you to “STOP BUYING MASKS!”
US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adam took to Twitter to share his response to the shortage of face masks as people rush to hoard them amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.
He begins his tweet with a plea to the public to “STOP BUYING MASKS!” and said, “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!”
Provides Alternative
Instead, he advises you to wash your hands, stay home when sick and take on other “everyday preventive actions”.
He also asked the public to get flu shots since fewer flu patients mean more resources to battle the coronavirus.
He points out that if the masks run out, health professionals, aka people who need them most will not be able to use them.
Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS!
They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!
https://t.co/UxZRwxxKL9— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) February 29, 2020
Another Doctor Says It’s A “Psychological Thing” To Make Us Feel less Helpless
Another doctor, Dr William Schaffner a preventive medicine professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine says that the rush to buy masks is a “psychological thing”.
He says, “The coronavirus is coming, and we feel rather helpless. By getting masks and wearing them, we move the locus of control somewhat to ourselves.”
The reason why people in the US have started to panic?
Other than the country reporting more cases of unknown origins, the superpower also reported its first death.
And just like Singapore, people have resorted to hoarding daily essentials…including toilet paper rolls.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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