Mask Wearing Guidelines... Circling Back to the US Standard

On the 3rd, as the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continued, commuters near Gwanghwamun in Seoul hurried on their way to work wearing masks. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] "KF94 masks are necessary for healthcare workers rather than the general public, especially for those exposed to aerosols (small particles suspended in the air) while caring for patients." As the demand for masks surged due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the government stated that "healthcare workers should have priority in using masks." This marks a step back from the previously strong preemptive measures, lowering the standards to levels seen in countries like the United States.

Within the medical community, there are claims supporting the priority use of masks by medical staff. On the 4th, Professor Myung Seung-kwon of the Department of Family Medicine at the National Cancer Center introduced related analyses published in international academic journals via Twitter, explaining, "While the evidence for the general public wearing masks for prevention is unclear, for healthcare workers it helps prevent respiratory diseases, and especially for health masks, the preventive effect is better."

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new usage guidelines the day before, emphasizing that "the general public can reuse disposable masks or use cloth masks." Lee Eui-kyung, head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, explained, "If health masks are temporarily used in places with low contamination risk, they can be reused by the same person. Also, when the risk of infection is low or health masks are unavailable, cloth masks can be used." The ministry stated that masks are not necessary in uncrowded outdoor areas, at home, or in individual spaces.

According to the new guidelines, those who need health masks include suspected patients, healthcare workers, and caregivers. KF94 or higher masks are recommended when caring for suspected COVID-19 patients. Health masks of KF80 or higher are primarily recommended for those with respiratory symptoms such as coughing or runny nose, visitors to medical institutions, workers in high-risk occupations such as healthcare personnel, and vulnerable groups or patients with underlying conditions.

The government has revised COVID-19 prevention guidelines several times. In official briefings, it previously stated that "wearing KF80 masks in daily life is effective in preventing infection, and cloth masks have limitations," which is the exact opposite of the current guidelines.

However, as mask supply could not meet demand, the government ultimately lowered the response level to that of countries like the United States, stating that "health masks are needed by healthcare workers, not the general public." The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends masks only for those with respiratory symptoms or those caring for suspected infected individuals such as healthcare workers. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend mask-wearing for the general public to prevent COVID-19 and urges people not to hoard masks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.