Table 3: Inappropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) - face masks and gloves [20,21,26].
Inappropriate personal protective practices | Scientific reasoning |
Wearing a face mask for self-protection | Face mask blocks droplets from your mouth and nose to protect others. It may also protect you from large droplets but not viruses- and bacteria-laden aerosols (very fine particles in the air) from others. It may prevent your hand directly touching your eyes, nose, or mouth unconsciously. |
Exposing nose while wearing a face mask | Transmission of respiratory infection mainly occurs via nose and mouth; covering only the mouth is not protective. |
Taking off face mask when coughing or sneezing | Wearing a face mask is to catch your coughs and sneezes; if you do not want to wet your mask, cough or sneeze into tissue paper, throw it into a trash bin, and do hand hygiene. Touching the face mask often for any reason will increase your risk. |
Wearing face mask when being alone in non-public places (such as in empty streets, beaches, or fields; while driving) | There will be no infectious droplets if no one is sneezing or coughing near you. |
Wearing double face masks | Double masks will not improve protection efficiency but may cause breathing difficulty. |
Wearing N95, KN95, FFP2, or equivalent respirators (± exhalation valve) | Respirators are worn only by healthcare personnel while taking care of infected patients. Wearing it for a long time will suffocate the wearer. |
Wearing hazmat suits | Hazmat suit (hazardous materials suit) is worn only by emergency healthcare personnel. Working in a hazmat suit is strenuous and thus good only for a short duration. |
Wearing single or double gloves | Gloves are for medical personnel. Wearing gloves will not prevent exposure to the virus without proper doffing and hand hygiene afterward. |
Reusing gloves or using gloves for a prolonged period | Gloves are made for single-use for a short time because they cannot be cleaned effectively, and prolonged use of gloves can compromise the barrier integrity. |