The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC on Monday warned against the washing of surgical masks for reuse.
In a tweet via its official handle, the NCDC referenced an image of women washing masks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Such behaviour, the NCDC said, “poses a RISK for #COVID19 spread”.
The NCDC advised that surgical masks be disposed in a waste bin after use.
“Use only those from original packaging,” the agency said.
To educate the public on the appropriate use of masks, the NCDC has published an advisory on its website.
Last week, the agency recommended the use of face masks for the general public.
“The wearing of face masks, (or equivalent) is recommended as an optional
additional layer to be used in addition to other measures such as physical distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene measures in Nigeria,” the NCDC said in its face mask advisory.