“I have been so consistent with the idea of wearing face masks, that I recently noticed some discolouring on my face; but alas, I have no other option than to wear mine; for the sake of my own safety.”
That is the dilemma of Emmanuel Nelson.
The 32-year-old media practitioner spends about fifteen hours of each day, outside his home, either doing work, or running personal errands. This means that, he spends 450 out of the 720 hours in a month, wearing his face mask.
The mask has left its footprint on his face. While his nose and mouth areas, usually covered by the mask, have become lighter in complexion, the rest of his face has turned a darker shade.
At a glance one would assume that the ‘map of the masks’ on his face, is bleaching gone wrong. For him, the loss of his even-coloured face is the price he may have to pay, in exchange for his safety from the dreaded COVID-19 virus.
As the country nears one year of mandatory mask-wearing, Nelson’s experience provokes some critical thoughts; have the essential safety kits triggered any side effects? How does one handle such effects, since mask-wearing is mandatory?
COVID-19 in Ghana:
COVID-19 was first detected in the country on March 12, 2020, after two cases were recorded, involving residents returning from Norway and Turkey.
This was followed by the banning of public gatherings, including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, church activities, mosque activities and a host of other related events, to reduce the spread of the virus.
All of the country’s borders were later closed for two weeks, from the midnight of Sunday, March 22, 2020; and on March 30, 2020, a partial lockdown was imposed on Greater Accra and Kumasi.
On April 19, 2020, President Akufo-Addo, in a televised address to the nation, issued a directive for the mandatory wearing of face masks, effective April 22, 2020, matched with sanctions.
Face masks:
There are three types of facemask; fabric face mask, surgical mask and the N95 respirator. They come in different designs, are sold at dissimilar prices and offer diverse levels of protection and comfort. Nevertheless, they all cover the mouth and nose areas, and have elastic straps worn over the ears, to keep them in place.
Owing to the critical role they play, the Ghana Standards Authority and the Food and Drugs Authority, have set standards and guidelines relevant for the making of fabric masks, which are reusable.
Initially sold at exorbitant prices, ranging from GHS100 and GhS250 per pack of GHS50 pieces, to in some cases, GhS5 per piece, the surgical masks now cost less than GHS20 per pack and GHS1 per 3 pieces. It is currently, the most popular type of mask being worn.
Adverse reactions:
Nelson is not the only one who has been having adverse reactions. In fact, many people prefer the use of surgical marks, because of the difficulty in breathing, when wearing other brands.
Eunice Aubin, a trader, said that she could not breathe when she wore the face mask made from fabric, but that she had no better option, due to the high cost of surgical masks. She therefore, has to constantly take it off for a while, in order to breathe in some fresh air.
Daniel Awuah is a forensic scientist working with the Ghana Standards Authority. As such, his job had already required him to wear a surgical mask during working hours in the lab, even before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He used to wear the mask for four hours, with intermittent breaks for some fresh air; but the pandemic came along with a challenge, when during breaks, this became a luxury.
“Initially, when I had to wear the face mask only in the lab, everything was normal. Now, I am compelled to wear the face mask, for approximately ten hours daily, five days a week, without taking it off; except when I have to take a snack or drink some water”, he said.
After eight months of wearing face masks, however, he started having difficulty in breathing, whenever the face mask was removed for such activities, or while he was in the comfort of his home.
He had a sore throat, and assumed that he might have contracted the COVID-19 virus, but nonetheless, remained reassured, when his colleagues at the workplace, also experienced the same symptoms, though they had tested negative for the virus.
“At a point, I thought I had become accustomed to wearing the face mask, and that I was not being wrong, since anytime I took a break for a week, I felt better,” he said.
As for Esther Nyamekye, a businesswoman, the prolonged wearing of the face mask, is putting pressure on her ears.
“I wear glasses; so both the temples of the glasses and the strings of the masks, weigh my ears every day. Sometimes I am compelled to remove one of them, just to have some relief”, she said.
HEALTH EXPERTS:
According to a dermatologist, Dr. Mckeown Seade of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the probability of having a skin irritation, is dependent on the fabric used in making the face mask.
It is therefore important that people wear the prescribed face masks recommended by the Food and Drugs Authority.
“People can also apply some moisturiser on their faces before wearing the face mask, to help reduce the impact of the irritations,” Dr Seade added.
A scientist of the West African Center for Cell Biology Pathogen, (WACCBIP), Dr. Yaw Bediako, said that, some people might experience skin irritations after a prolonged mask-wearing, but that there was really no other choice, since face masks constitute an important part in the fight against the COVID-19 virus.
“Anytime people stop wearing face masks, there is a rise in COVID-19 cases; so we really do not have any option”, he said, explaining that researchers and doctors had not received any formal complaints, of people having severe reactions from the prolonged use of face masks.
As to when face masks will disappear from the scene, nobody knows; but there is remains a certainty, that scientists are doing everything possible in their power, to see to its end. Possibly, with the intervention of vaccines, all shall soon pass.
END
By Adwoa Adobea-Owusu , Freelance Journalist
adwoaado@gmail.com
The writer is a freelance journalist.