Head of WHO's office in Azerbaijan talks on necessity of wearing masks by children

By Trend

An international group of WHO experts studied issues related to the infection of children with COVID-19, Hande Harmanci, the head of the organization's office in Azerbaijan told Trend, commenting on the issue of the need for children to wear protective masks during the pandemic.

According to Harmanci, based on factors such as psychosocial needs and developmental stages of children, WHO and UNICEF recommend that protective masks should not be required for children under 5 years of age.

This recommendation is given taking into account the peculiarities of the social development of children in this age category.

With regard to the age group 6-11 years, she noted that in this case, WHO and UNICEF recommend that the decision to use a face mask be based on a number of factors.

"Among these factors are the spread degree of the virus in the territory where the child lives, the child's ability to safely and correctly use the mask, the availability of protective masks, the factor of communication between the child and adults with a high risk of infection, and others," said the official.

The official stressed that, in general, WHO always advises the population to follow the recommendations of local authorities.

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