Aga Khan Hospital Bans Valved Masks Within Its Premises

If you are wearing a mask that has a valve, you will not be allowed to enter Aga Khan University Hospital. The hospital has banned individuals wearing masks that have valves from accessing the hospital, a move that has elicited sharp reactions.

“Masks that have valves only protect the wearer and offer no protection to those around them,” said the hospital while giving reasons as to why they arrived at that decision. Patients and those visiting them while wearing valved masks will not be allowed in.

Aga Khan says masks with valves are designed to allow inhaled air to be filtered, but exhaled air is not. “The exhaled air can be expelled towards others even more than from a person not wearing a mask.” The Ministry of Health is yet to comment on the issue.

The price of masks

When Covid-19 came to Kenya, masks were going for as high as 1,200 shillings. The cheapest mask was 50 shillings. As the days went by, the price dropped more than 5 times. The mask that was between 250 and 500 shillings is going retailing between 80 and 100 shillings.

The cheapest mask on the market is going for 10 shillings. This has, however, brought into question the quality of the said masks. It is now not easy to tell which mask has the quality and capability to defend one’s against the infection of Covid-19.

The second wave of Covid-19

The second wave of Covid-19 seems to be hitting hard on Kenyans than the first one. The rate of infections and deaths as a result of the Covid019 pandemic has been on the rise with the Ministry of Health warning of more increased infections if Kenyans won’t observe the rules.

As Christmas festivities draw near, Kenyans have been warned against unnecessary travels into the rural areas as it is the norm because that is likely to increase the spread of the virus.

READ: KEBS Publishes an Additional Standard For Face Masks Produced Locally