Minister of Health Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire and his junior counterpart, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, have expressed their misgivings against the widespread wearing of face masks by members of the public.
ALSO READ: Sacked Bayelsa Dep gov-elect is suicidal – Minister
Coronavirus infection of an Italian expatriate with cement giant, Lafarge, has sparked anxiety with many people procuring protective items and wearing face masks.
Ehanire, has however denounced the general use of face masks warning school operators to desist from asking pupils to wear it to school. He added that face masks are meant for people already exhibiting Coronavirus symptoms.
Corroborating his senior colleague, Mamora in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, said face mask was not meant for healthy people, but for those manifesting symptoms.
He said: “As far as I am concerned, facemask is not meant for people without symptoms. People who need facemask are those already manifesting symptoms.
”If you are coughing or you are sneezing and you cannot stay at home to get over that period or maybe, you have to go to work, then, you also have a duty, apart from wanting to protect yourself in that circumstance, the greater duty is for you to protect the person around you.
”That is why the face mask may be necessary if you are having symptoms but without symptoms, it is just an unnecessary hype and being overzealous.”
