DUBAI: The World Health Organization has advised on the use of medical masks as to limit the spread of certain respiratory viral diseases, including COVID-19. “Current information suggests that the two main routes of transmission of the COVID-19 virus are respiratory droplets and contact,” the global health body said in its advisory. Masks can be used either for protection by healthy persons – to protect themselves from transmission – or by infected individuals to prevent onward transmission. The WHO likewise advised that governments should encourage the wearing of masks where there is widespread transmission and physical distancing is difficult, especially that a vaccine for coronavirus has yet to be developed that could offer protection to individuals. Wearing masks have become a norm that even the availability of a vaccine in the future would not deter almost half of Arab News readers that were polled – at 46.6 percent – compared with those who said they will ditch these protections – at 29 percent – once a coronavirus inoculation goes into market. Almost a quarter of those that were polled meanwhile said they did not mind either way. Reader @KaysarRoni said face masks is essential when going to the market, to shop or to pray in the mosques, but would be “harmful for health” when worn all the time.