The Director of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye has stated that the Fabric face mask cannot protect against contracting coronavirus but can aid in reducing the spread of the virus.

The Director General of NAFDAC on Monday, sensitised the public on the various Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, which included the Mask and Protective clothing, via the Agency’s Twitter handle @NafdacAgency, she tweeted on the mandatory need to enlighten the public on the medical products needed in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
She stated that the Agency however, has put in place the registration of pathways to allow the Emergency Use Authorization, EUA, of masks and PPEs, as it helps protect the wearer, when carrying out any activity.
In addition, the Agency stated that face mask and protective clothing provides the wearer with a different level of protection – it reduces the risk of spreading the virus within and outside the community.
When describing the various types of face, the Agency stated that Non – medical or Barrier face mask, which are made from textile materials or even paper, do not help in limiting the spread of the virus or droplets and, therefore, gives little measure of protection.

The Agency also advised that the Barrier Face mask does not prevent one from contracting the Covid-19 virus, but it can help reduce the spread of the infections when used in conjunction with other preventive measures, the fabrics are meant to be washed daily after usage.
While using a cloth Barrier face mask the layer of the fabric should be doubled to increase absorbency and effectiveness.
Barrier masks do not prevent you from contracting disease but, they have been found to contribute to reduce spread of infections when used widely in conjunction with other preventive measures.
These face masks are recommended to be washed daily and preferably should be a…
— NAFDAC NIGERIA (@NafdacAgency) April 27, 2020
MEDICAL MASK and RESPIRATORS
1.SURGICAL/MEDICAL MASK
These are fairly loose-fitting disposable masks used by medical/health personnel in health facilities. The surgical masks are made of non-woven fabric (polypropylene) consisting of multiple layers.— NAFDAC NIGERIA (@NafdacAgency) April 27, 2020
The other type of face mask is the Medical/ Surgical face mask, which are also known as disposable mask; are made from non woven fabric (polypropylene) which consists of multiple layers, this is advisable to use in preventing one from contracting the virus.

The Agency finally advised the public on the use of the Respirator known as the KN95 or N95 respirator mask as most preferably, as it is designed to protect the wearer from tinny droplets or particles from air, such as viruses, in which the regular surgical mask do not protect the wearer against.
