-Narayan Adhikari
Poor management of a huge number of facemasks used by people for the protection against COVID-19 has become a serious safety matter in the Chitwan district lately. The facemarks thrown away randomly in public places after their use could further exacerbate the spread of the virus in the district, the experts warned.
Senior physician of Bharatpur Hospital, Dr Mahendra Agrahari, said that the lack of appropriate disposal of such products could fuel the virus infection. “This is because the swab, mucus, saliva and sputum embedded in the inner part of the used facemasks contain virus.”
The germs in the masks can survive up to 3 to 4 days since they are made of metallic contents and plastic, according to him. The likelihood of the spread of the infection is simply high if the virus-containing masks are taken one place to another place by the stray dogs and cats.
After its use, the facemasks should be disposed in a covered-dustbin. If dustbin is not available, they should be sealed in a plastic before its disposal.
Chief of Health Office, Chitwan, Dipak Tiwari admitted that the facemasks disposal is not satisfactory in the district. RSS
