<p>BRUSSELS — Ten months after promising free cloth facemasks to protect all Belgians from COVID-19, the country’s government is having second thoughts — warning they could be dangerous and shouldn’t be used.</p>
<p>Belgian authorities said the masks contain miniscule traces of silver and a chemical compound that initial studies now show could affect the respiratory system when inhaled deeply. More studies are continuing. </p>
<p>Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke told parliament on Thursday that “to be on the safe side while the studies continue, it is better to put (the masks) to the side." </p>
<p>In all, the government ordered 18 million masks. Authorities started handing them out for free last year, but have not yet completed the distribution.</p>
<p>Ever since the virus hit Belgium last spring, the nation of 11.5 million has been beset with problems. For the first half year, it was a minority government with limited powers which had to deal with the pandemic.</p>
<p>The country has one of the highest per capita death rates in the world, and has registered a total 22,000 COVID-19 fatalities.</p>
<hr />
<p>Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine">https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak">https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak</a></p>
