Non-replaced Masks Are More Dangerous Than Not Wearing a Mask, Says Minister

The Minister of Health of Armenia, Arsen Torosyan, spoke with reporters today about homemade masks. He reiterated that the purpose of the mask is primarily to protect against the fine droplets expelled from the mouth and nose during exhaling, sneezing, or coughing, which may contain viruses.

Torosyan stated that masks do not protect against inhaling viruses since the virus is much thinner than the mask's pores. The minister reminded that masks should be changed every 3-4 hours; non-replaced masks are more dangerous than going out without a mask, particularly those made from improper materials, as they accumulate not only viruses but also microorganisms and dust.

“One should either not use a mask or use a mask of proper quality because wearing a mask that does not protect you is pointless. Therefore, this high demand for regular surgical masks is not entirely justified, and there is no point in wearing them outside of medical personnel and sick individuals, especially when in a hospital setting,” he said.

Regarding mask imports, he mentioned that their partners are trying to support import efforts, indicating that today 3-5 million units are set to be facilitated across the border. However, we will find out more specifically if that happens,” he added.

The minister shared that in Italy, for example, there are no masks because they do not have manufacturing capabilities; it has not been economically viable to produce masks. They have procured masks from China, which has started to increase production volumes. He noted that yesterday was the first day without any recorded cases of infection, but mask prices have increased, with our importers paying 85 drams for a mask, while before the pandemic, masks cost only 2-3 drams.