"WHO Urged to Swap Surgical Face Masks with Respirators Amid Growing Concerns Over Inadequate Protection"
The World Health Organization (WHO) is facing mounting pressure from experts to update its guidelines on personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, recommending the use of respirator-level masks instead of surgical face masks. The call comes after a growing body of evidence suggesting that these latter masks provide inadequate protection against airborne pathogens, including COVID-19.
Critics argue that surgical face masks are "obsolete" and should be phased out in favor of respirators, which offer significantly higher levels of filtration, often exceeding 90% in certain cases. The current use of surgical masks is seen as a barrier to effective infection control and has been linked to increased transmission rates among healthcare workers.
The proposal has been endorsed by over 2,000 members of the public, including vulnerable patients, as well as senior clinicians and researchers. It has also received support from prominent figures such as George Monbiot, a Guardian columnist, and Eric Feigl-Ding, a US epidemiologist.
According to Prof Adam Finkel, one of the letter's authors, surgical masks are "invented" to prevent doctors and nurses from sneezing into patients' airways, rather than designed to stop airborne pathogens. He likened this to comparing an outdated typewriter to a modern computer – the latter offers significantly more functionality and efficiency.
The WHO has faced criticism for being slow to recognize COVID-19 as spreading through airborne particles. The proposed update would also require the organization to revisit earlier statements on the mode of transmission, with experts arguing that unambiguous information is necessary to inform the public.
While the proposal may spark controversy, its supporters argue that adopting respirators in healthcare settings could significantly reduce infections and related risks for patients and healthcare workers alike.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is facing mounting pressure from experts to update its guidelines on personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, recommending the use of respirator-level masks instead of surgical face masks. The call comes after a growing body of evidence suggesting that these latter masks provide inadequate protection against airborne pathogens, including COVID-19.
Critics argue that surgical face masks are "obsolete" and should be phased out in favor of respirators, which offer significantly higher levels of filtration, often exceeding 90% in certain cases. The current use of surgical masks is seen as a barrier to effective infection control and has been linked to increased transmission rates among healthcare workers.
The proposal has been endorsed by over 2,000 members of the public, including vulnerable patients, as well as senior clinicians and researchers. It has also received support from prominent figures such as George Monbiot, a Guardian columnist, and Eric Feigl-Ding, a US epidemiologist.
According to Prof Adam Finkel, one of the letter's authors, surgical masks are "invented" to prevent doctors and nurses from sneezing into patients' airways, rather than designed to stop airborne pathogens. He likened this to comparing an outdated typewriter to a modern computer – the latter offers significantly more functionality and efficiency.
The WHO has faced criticism for being slow to recognize COVID-19 as spreading through airborne particles. The proposed update would also require the organization to revisit earlier statements on the mode of transmission, with experts arguing that unambiguous information is necessary to inform the public.
While the proposal may spark controversy, its supporters argue that adopting respirators in healthcare settings could significantly reduce infections and related risks for patients and healthcare workers alike.
I think this is a no-brainer... respirators should be the norm in hospitals, like, what's the point of wearing surgical masks if they're not gonna keep you safe from airborn pathogens? 
It's crazy that people are still getting sick because of outdated gear. I mean, we've come so far with technology, and it's time for healthcare to catch up.
It's about time they acknowledge that these masks just aren't cutting it anymore. I'm with George Monbiot and Eric Feigl-Ding on this one - we need better gear to keep our healthcare workers safe.
And yeah, maybe some hospitals might have to redo their guidelines and protocols, but that's a small price to pay for keeping staff and patients safe.
! Like, can you believe the WHO has been stuck in the stone age when it comes to protecting our frontline heroes? Surgical masks are literally the bare minimum and they're still pushing them out as if it's enough?! It's just so frustrating knowing that all these years we've been putting our healthcare workers at risk because of outdated guidelines 
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! It's not like they're asking for much, just better protection for our healthcare workers so they can actually do their job without worrying about infecting themselves or us. And if that means revisiting earlier statements on transmission modes, then so be it 
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. We need to hold our leaders accountable for putting people's lives at risk and making changes NOW 
! Like, who designed them to just stop a sneeze from flying into someone's face? It's like comparing an old flip phone to a smartwatch – yeah, the mask was fine back then, but times have changed and we need something better 
. And don't even get me started on how the WHO took so long to realize that COVID-19 spreads through the air 
. I mean, come on, guys! We've been using N95 masks in our construction projects for years – why can't you just update the guidelines already? 
). Seriously though, I hope they make this change soon. Patients and healthcare workers deserve better protection 
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. I'm not sure why there's so much pushback on this idea - we're not trying to get rid of masks altogether, just upgrade to something that actually works 
. I mean, remember those early days of surgical masks? They were like something out of a sci-fi movie 
! Fast forward to now, and it's clear they're not cutting it anymore. It's time for respirators to take center stage 
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. I mean, remember when we first started talking about airborne transmission? It was like, "Is this real life?" 
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. The fact that 2k+ people, including some super smart folks like George Monbiot and Eric Feigl-Ding, are on board with this change is a good sign 
. I mean, we've been saying this for ages - surgical masks just aren't doing the trick anymore 
. We need something that's gonna provide real protection against those airborne pathogens, you know? And it's not like we can just keep relying on outdated tech, we gotta evolve 
. Let's just hope they can actually make it happen without too much more drama 
! This news is super interesting, IMO... WHO's guidelines on PPE should def be updated ASAP 
! Surgical masks just aren't doing the trick, especially when it comes to stopping airborne pathogens 
! It's about time we get some clarity on how COVID-19 spreads, too. This update would be a huge step forward in keeping us safe, both patients & healthcare workers alike 
. I know some people might be worried that respirators are too expensive or hard to get hold of, but if they can help prevent more cases and keep healthcare workers safe then it's worth considering 
. It's time for us to catch up with the latest technology 
. I remember when COVID first hit, we were all using those N95 respirator thingies in the office, it was super effective 
. Now it seems like common sense to me that we should be using way better gear to keep ourselves and others safe 
. Those surgical masks just aren't cutting it anymore, you know? It's like Prof Adam Finkel said, they're basically designed for sneezing into patients' airways, not to stop actual disease transmission 
. And I love how Prof Adam Finkel compares surgical masks to an old typewriter 
. Yeah, it's time to move to a more efficient and effective tool for protecting ourselves and others. Let's hope the WHO can update its guidelines quickly and give us some clarity on how to stay safe 
. It makes sense that respirators are the way forward - they offer so much more protection 
. It's crazy that it took us this long to realize that surgical masks aren't cutting it 
. It'll take some adjusting on our part, but if it means keeping patients and healthcare workers safer 
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. Plus, I'm still waiting to see some actual data on how many cases were actually prevented by switching to respirators instead of just using more masks 
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the WHO is finally listening to experts & taking action to upgrade our protection 
. using respirators would be a huge step forward in keeping us all safe & healthy! 
plus, it just makes sense that we use the best gear for the job 