Doctors told about the dangers of masks in the cold

According to Yelena Belova, an infectious disease specialist from the scientific and clinical department of the Moscow City Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS of the Moscow City Health Department, wearing a face mask on a deserted street as protection from the cold in severe frost is useless. It is required only where there is a large crowd of people.

“Why does a person put on a mask? In order not to be among people without a means of protection. A mask is an element that does not warm up in frost", - RIA Novosti quotes Belova as saying.

When moving along a deserted street, the infectious disease specialist advises to take off the mask.

“It is important to understand that when we breathe and talk, moisture forms on the side of the mask that is adjacent to the face. And from the very beginning of our “instruction” on the correct wearing of masks, we paid attention to the fact that if the mask is wet, it must be removed and thrown away”, - explained Yelena Belova.

When approaching a public transport stop where there are many people, you must wear a mask. When leaving the transport, it is better to take it off so that it does not cool your face in the cold.

“If a person breathes, coughs, sneezes into the mask, drops are formed. At low temperatures, they begin to cool, and with them the person, why does he need it? The mask must be removed”, -the doctor said.

She added that if a person is alone in the room, then he does not need a mask here either.

According to an infectious disease doctor, Professor Nikolay Malyshev, a mask that is wet from breathing in the cold ceases to protect the owner.

“If the mask becomes wet, it must be changed, and on the street, if there is a single passer-by, what are the indications for a mask? None”, - said Malyshev.

According to him, a quickly wet mask is also not suitable for heating the respiratory tract. For these purposes, it will be more effective to raise the scarf higher.