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Before we start talking about the mobile app, which is well received in Lithuania, let’s first look at the traditional protection tool – face masks. Using them correctly can significantly reduce your risk of contracting the virus.
Protective masks should not be worn to prevent COVID-19 infection to avoid fines. The purpose of wearing a mask is to protect the person wearing it and those around them from this infection. There are still some people who use face masks the wrong way.
The most common mistake is a mask that does not cover the nose. Masks will not be effective if they do not meet at least basic safety standards, and people who use the masks incorrectly will be punished for not wearing them. Another problem is that used masks are thrown anywhere. Delfi reminds you how to use the protective mask correctly, how long to change it and how to dispose of it.
Protective masks must be used correctly
The mask must be used thoroughly to completely cover the mouth and nose. The mask must be without holes, opaque, of the appropriate size. A cloth mask is most effective when it is solid and consists of several layers, at least three. The inner layer of the mask should be made of a material that absorbs moisture well, the outer layer of a material from which moisture evaporates extremely quickly, and the third layer of the mask, which is applied as a filter, can be made of a dense polypropylene material.
When wearing the mask, do not touch it with your hands. When removing the mask, do not touch the outside of the mask with your hands, only the laces. Wash your hands after removing or touching the mask. You need to replace the mask if it gets wet, because a wet mask is ineffective. Do not reuse disposable masks, throw them away after each use.
It is recommended to change the medical mask at least every 4 hours.
Non-medical masks made of fabric or other textile materials have advantages: They are easy to make and can be washed and reused. Wash at least once a day in hot water with soap or detergent.
Individuals can be held administratively responsible for not wearing or misusing masks. For first time offenders, it will cost 250 euros, for additional non-compliance, a fine of up to 1,500 euros.
Skeptics are offered to look at the increasing numbers
Epidemiologist, Head of the Health Promotion Division of the Ministry of Health. The specialist Galina Zagrebnevienė suggests to the skeptics, for whom the use of masks seems ineffective, to look at the record statistics of infected people: “I think that the skeptics, looking at those figures, should think. The use of masks itself is a science-based tool recommended to the public. There are skeptics not only about the use of masks, but also about other preventive measures, especially specific preventive measures such as vaccines, but the opinion of skeptics cannot in any way overshadow or influence the information and preventive measures based on science “.
Ms. Zagrebnevienė says that people could have been misled since the beginning of the pandemic, when there were many and varied opinions: “The opinions of the World Health Organization, scientists from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control and other health authorities deferred a contagious disease that no one knew about until now. So those opinions were really very diverse, contradictory because of the unknown, and therefore there was no unanimity.
However, monitoring the spread of the virus has shown that it is spread through droplets that a sick person secretes when they speak, cough, or sneeze. The use of protective masks stops the virus in the place of its isolation. People close to the patient wear masks in solidarity so that they do not inhale the droplets of the patient during close contact with the patient, which is precisely what the mask holds. Thus, although there was a difference of opinion, there was a worldwide consensus that the use of masks is one of the main preventive measures “.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has reported that there is growing evidence that the use of masks has a preventive effect on the spread of the virus. According to a systematic review, the use of masks reduces on average the risk of virus transmission by approximately 5 times. There is also evidence that the use of masks acts as a preventive measure both at the individual and population levels.
Furthermore, there is already evidence that masks not only prevent the spread of infection to the environment (that is, protect others), but also protect the person wearing the mask from infection.
How to properly dispose of the mask
The Ministry of the Environment recommends that during the COVID-19 threat period, residents dispose of household waste such as disposable protective masks, napkins, toilet paper, etc. personal hygiene items are thrown away in a separate bag. Once the bag is full, it must be placed in an additional bag, hermetically sealed and disposed of in a mixed municipal waste container.
These recommendations on waste management in the period of threat of infection by COVID-19 were prepared and published by the Ministry of the Environment this year. On March 24, the Commission, in cooperation with public health professionals, waste managers and other socio-economic partners, evaluated relevant information from the World Health Organization (WHO), practices in the European Union and other countries. These recommendations are still valid today.
The mobile app also helps
With the spread of the coronavirus in Lithuania, new ways to control its spread are being sought. That is why a special mobile application “Korona Stop LT” has been created.
The Korona Stop LT app, introduced in Lithuania last week, can help break the chain of transmission of coronavirus infection. Volunteers who have voluntarily downloaded the app from the AppStore or Google Play can not only receive alerts about being around someone infected with COVID-19, but also recommendations on how to proceed to protect themselves and others.
How does the gadget work? Korona Stop LT
Residents download the Korona Stop LT app on their mobile devices. Gadget-based phones use Bluetooth to exchange randomly generated data when, at what distance, and for how long.
When a coronavirus infection is detected in one of the app users, they can voluntarily post to the app without posting any personal information. In this way, gadget users who have been close to the infected person for more than 15 minutes within 2 meters in the last 14 days receive a notification of a possible previous contact. Device users who have received reports of exposure to the infected coronavirus will follow the device’s recommendations for further action.
You are probably wondering, is it possible to guarantee data privacy? And here the gadget developers have a very simple answer. This application is really safe to use. “Decentralized data storage on the device user device ensures data privacy,” emphasize the developers.
It is also important to note that it is very easy to use and does not require any special knowledge. This is confirmed by Mindaugas from Vilnius, who have already downloaded and tested the app. He explains that in this way he wants to protect himself and those around him.
“As soon as I found out that such an app was released, I immediately downloaded it. I like all kinds of innovations and want to try them. Most importantly, this is how I can take care of myself and those around me. And it’s very easy to use. Seniors really can, “Mindaugas said.
The project is funded by the State Public Health Strengthening Fund, which is administered by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania.
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