high-quality or direct scientific evidence". Additionally, WHO advises of 11 negative side effects:
• potential increased risk of self-contamination due to the manipulation of a face mask and subsequently touching
eyes with contaminated hands;(48, 49)
• potential self-contamination that can occur if nonmedical masks are not changed when wet or soiled. This
can create favourable conditions for microorganism to amplify;
• potential headache and/or breathing difficulties, depending on type of mask used;
• potential development of facial skin lesions, irritant dermatitis or worsening acne, when used frequently for
long hours;(50)
• difficulty with communicating clearly;
• potential discomfort;(41, 51)
• a false sense of security, leading to potentially lower adherence to other critical preventive measures such as
physical distancing and hand hygiene;
• poor compliance with mask wearing, in particular by young children;
• waste management issues; improper mask disposal leading to increased litter in public places, risk of
contamination to street cleaners and environment hazard;
• difficulty communicating for deaf persons who rely on lip reading;
• disadvantages for or difficulty wearing them, especially for children, developmentally challenged persons, those
with mental illness, elderly persons with cognitive impairment, those with asthma or chronic respiratory or
breathing problems, those who have had facial trauma or recent oral maxillofacial surgery, and those living in hot
and humid environments.
I thought you were part of the party of science?