Murtaza Wahab Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister has been massively criticized on social media on his statements that all masks including cloths and surgical are equally effective and workable against the fight pandemic. But medical experts disagreed and responded that scientifically those surgical masks are far better and effective in comparison to cloth masks.
Sure, reusable cloth masks would be better for the environment than disposable surgical masks, which will almost certainly not be disposed properly, as with most of our waste, and find itself in wastelands and sewers but in this case, the safety surgical masks provide trumps the bad points.
Cloth and sponge masks are not the most effective in preventing the spread of Covid-19 virus because there are several requirements for a cloth mask to meet before it’s as safe as a surgical mask.
Dr Faheem Younus, a Pakistani-American doctor who’s been at the frontline in the US leading the charge against Covid-19, has also been very active on Twitter throughout the pandemic, giving people his expert medical advice regarding the virus. One user responded to Wahab’s statement with a tweet by Dr Younus. “Ditch cloth masks,” he said.
A man who claimed to be a doctor also chose to comment, saying that cloth masks are not the most effective, and that Wahab should refrain from recommending them.