THE USE OF A FACE PROTECTION MASK IN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES - A BARRIER OR A FACILITATOR?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global reality, which has affected people's lives and routines. As for coping measures, the world control agencies have established several guidelines, among them, the orientation regarding the use of the face mask as an important barrier in the virus's transmission. In this context, people with intellectual disabilities may have difficulties in following this guidance,  because of difficulties in understanding, adapting, or because of the need for specific support. An adult caregiver usually offers this support, and they may or may not favor this process. The present research aimed to identify the difficulties and ease when using a face mask in the COVID-19 pandemic, by people with disabilities, in the caregiver's view. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out at the APAE of Agudos-SP. The institution's management allowed this questionnaire, structured with 14 questions. All respondents agreed with the consent form that was sent digitally. Forty-one caregivers of people with different disabilities were interviewed, the most frequent being intellectual disability with 22 subjects, 31 reported using the mask against 10 who did not. We conclude that, despite the understanding of responsible caregivers about the need to use protective masks, many subjects cannot use them, either because of difficulty in understanding the need or because of a lack of correct support from the caregiver.