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Coronavirus could be ‘eradicated’ if 70% of people wore surgical or N95 masks in public – but cloth masks may not be enough to end the pandemic, study finds
- Researchers looked at three types of face masks: N95s, surgical masks, and fabric masks
- They found N95s to be the best for filtering aerosol-sized droplets, which can stay suspended in the air for long periods of time.
- Although sheet masks are less effective, using a combination of fabrics rather than just one type allows for better filtration and heat dissipation.
- The team determined that the pandemic could be curbed if 70% of people wore face masks, as the reproduction rate would drop below 1.0
The coronavirus pandemic could be curbed if at least 70% of the public wore masks, suggests a new study.
Researchers studied the physics of different face coverings, including their material and design.
They found that the three most common types of face masks – N95, surgical masks, and face masks – help reduce reproduction rates (RT), which means fewer people are infected due to social distancing.
However, the team also found that only N95s were the most effective at filtering out tiny infectious particles that can stay suspended in the air for long periods of time and burrow deep into the lungs.
A new study has found that N95s are best at filtering aerosol-sized droplets, which can stay suspended in the air for long periods of time.
For the study, published in the journal Physics of Fluids, the team looked at research on face masks and how they filter or block the virus.
They analyzed how the masks protect against the droplets of liquid that are expelled when a person coughs, sneezes, sings or even breathes.
Larger droplets, which vary between five and 10 microns – about seven times smaller than the diameter of a human hair – are the most common.
However, the smaller droplets are perhaps more dangerous because they can become aerosolized and remain suspended in the air for long periods of time.
Of the three types of mask studies – N95, surgical masks, cloth masks – only N95 filters out aerosol-sized droplets.
The researchers found that the masks found in hybrid polymer materials can filter out particles and also cool the face.
It means using a mix of materials for face covering like cotton, polyester, chiffon, silk, flannel.
When several layers have been used and a combination of different fabrics, this allows better filtration and heat dissipation.
“ There may be a relationship between respiratory resistance and face mask flow resistance that will need to be investigated for a face mask wear interval, ” said Dr. Heow Pueh Lee, associate professor of applied mechanics at the National University of Singapore.
“ In addition, the environmental conditions in the compartmental space of the face mask will need to be quantified more precisely using miniaturized sensors and the development of human replicas for such studies.
The study also found that regular use of face masks lowered Rt levels below 1.0.
“ The results suggest that the consistent use of effective face masks, such as surgical masks, could lead to the eradication of the pandemic if at least 70% of residents use these masks in public consistently, ” said author Sanjay Kumar, assistant professor. engineering like UC Berkeley.
“Even less effective fabric masks could also slow the spread if worn regularly.
It comes after former FDA commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal urging Americans to buy better masks.
Specifically, he recommended N95, or its equivalent, because of its proven ability to block at least 95%. small particles
Gottlieb said the second best option is a surgical mask, and if nothing else is available, buy fabric masks made from cotton-polyester blends.
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