• Masks need to be worn only by someone suffering from an infectious respiratory disease like Swine Flu. • Masks need to be clean and dry for it to be 100% protective. • Wet masks encourage trapping of germs and it causes more harm than not wearing a mask. • Breathing through a mask for about 4 hours makes it moist and therefore ineffective. • Disposable masks need to be replaced with a new one after 4 hours of use. • Masks are useful for use during short durations in crowded places where the possibility of someone carrying the disease is high. • Throwing away a used mask carelessly outside could spread germs into the surrounding making others susceptible to infection. It could be you! Therefore, use a mask only if you are infected with swine flu. Dr. Rajan T.D., MD,DVD, DNB Specialist in Skin & Sexually Transmitted Diseases