Times Of Swaziland: ATHLETES FEAR SUFFOCATING IN FACE MASKS

ATHLETES FEAR SUFFOCATING IN FACE MASKS
================================================================================
BY PHOLSILE HLOPHE on 23/05/2020 23:00:00


MBABANE – Is wearing masks safe for athletes during the current COVID-19
pandemic?
That is the question on the minds of many after social media was abuzz yesterday
following circulating reports about three athletes from China and neighbouring
South Africa that died exercising while wearing face masks.
One of the runners is said to have suffered a collapsed lung and died. Fear has
gripped athletes as they are questioning the safety of face masks and the ideal
ones suitable for exercising.
warned athletes
One of Eswatini’s fitness trainers Bongani Mthupha, warned athletes against
the use of cotton masks but advised them to use those that are specifically
designed for athletes. He said the cotton mask restrict breathing since it was
not designed for intense training.
“The cotton or cloth mask is dangerous because when you run, you need a lot of
oxygen and the mask does not allow that. It makes it tough to breath. People
should be careful on the type of mask they use. I would suggest maintaining two
meter-distances while running instead of using the mask,” said Mthupha.
On the other hand, Blast and Burn Transformers Studio coach Arnaldo Barbosa
observed that Eswatini Government must educate athletes about the masks to avoid
fatalities.
“These masks are not for athletes. It’s so unfortunate that the athletics
masks are not even sold in our country and that being the case, people are going
to die since the masks are a must since we are in the fight of COVID-19,”
noted Barbosa.
On a medical perspective, Eswatini Football Association’s Vice President, who
is also a doctor by profession, Comfort Shongwe advised athletes to run a
medical check-up first before exercising with a mask on. He said that people
with medical conditions such as hypertension were at risk of dying during
exercise. He discouraged the use of clinical masks for training as they were not
designed for exercise.
“Every person needs to do a medical check-up and be advised of the type of
training that is suitable for their body. The clinical masks were not designed
for exercise so I am made to believe that the athletes who died while training
might have been using the wrong masks or they had certain medical conditions,”
said Shongwe.