MANILA, Philippines – The use of face masks by the general public during the coronavirus pandemic remains a controversial topic to this day.

Back in early February, when the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared an international emergency over the coronavirus, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus bemoaned what he called the “widespread, inappropriate use” of face masks and protective gear by people who are not sick or on the front lines.

The Guardian reported that Michael Ryan, WHO’s executive director for emergencies, pointed out masks were not always useful for the healthy general public. The WHO then had warned of a “chronic shortage” of masks and other protective equipment.

“If you see the normal civilian market flooded with N95 type masks and you see doctors and nurses who don’t have those, there is a problem,” The Guardian quoted Ryan as saying.

By April, or almost a month since the coronavirus outbreak had been labeled as a pandemic, the WHO came out with an interim guidance on use of masks in the context of the coronavirus.

It maintained that medical masks should be reserved for healthcare workers and those with symptoms, adding that “the wide use of masks by healthy people in the community setting is not supported by current evidence and carries uncertainties and critical risks.”

But the WHO also said that asking the general public to wear face masks could be justified in areas where handwashing and physical distancing is difficult.

“Countries could consider using masks in communities where other measures, such as cleaning hands and physical distancing, are harder to achieve because of lack of water or cramped living conditions,” Tedros said during a virtual briefing on April 6.

Four months since the coronavirus started spreading in January, the use of face mask by the general public is increasingly recommended in many countries.

In the United States, which now has the most coronavirus cases worldwide, the Centers for Disease and Control recommended for all Americans to “wear a face covering, such as a cloth mask, when leaving their home to go to necessary places like the grocery store.”

“While we don’t have evidence that a cloth mask protects you from acquiring the virus, the science suggests it will help prevent you from spreading it to others – a key way to protect the most vulnerable, slow the spread, and save lives,” US Health Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump, however, refuses to wear a mask, even during a recent visit to a mask production facility in Arizona.

In China, where the pandemic originated, healthy people are encouraged to wear masks in crowded places. Some European countries, such as Germany and Spain, have made wearing masks mandatory in some public areas.

There is also widespread use of face masks in countries with successful coronavirus responses, such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ Department of Health in April started requiring residents in areas under enhanced community quarantine to wear face masks when leaving their homes.

World leaders have also started wearing face masks in their public appearances as the world grapples with the ongoing pandemic.

Below are photos of political leaders donning face masks in recent months:

As of Tuesday, May 19, the number of infections worldwide surpassed 4.8 million, while over 320,000 people have died across 196 countries and territories. – with reports from Agence France-Presse Rappler.com