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The use of face masks has been part of daily life since the early days of the pandemic. Unfortunately, wearing PPE has taken on renewed importance since the highly transmissible Delta variant became the dominant strain of the virus in the United States, with some local health officials renewing mask warrants in public places. But covering yourself with just any type of mask doesn’t necessarily mean you’re safe: A new study has found you may need to wear more than a basic cloth or surgical mask to protect yourself from COVID or prevent you from spreading it to others.
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The latest research on the subject, published in the journal Fluid physics July 21, comes from the University of Waterloo in Canada. To test their effectiveness, a team of researchers simulated breathing using CPR dummies in a large, unventilated room while wearing different types of masks, including three-ply fabric masks, surgical masks, masks N95 and KN95 masks.
The results revealed that commonly worn fabric masks and basic surgical masks were only able to filter exhaled particles “with apparent efficiencies of only 12.4% and 9.8%, respectively”. On the flip side, the results also revealed that the N95 and KN95 masks exhibited “significantly higher apparent filtration efficiencies” of 60% and 46%, respectively. This led the study authors to conclude that the two top-of-the-line masks “remain the recommended choice for alleviating the transmission of airborne disease indoors.”
The team believe that the improper fit of most fabric and surgical masks is the cause of the major decrease in filtration capabilities. Photographic evidence from the study showed that the spaces between the face and PPE allow particles to escape into the surrounding air, most often redirecting particles through the top of the mask to where they touch. the nose.
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Ultimately, the research team concluded that a combination of improved ventilation systems and better face masks could go a long way in slowing the spread of COVID-19. “There is no doubt that it is beneficial to wear any face covering, both for protection near and from a distance in a room”, Serhiy Yarousevych, PhD, professor of mechanical and mechatronic engineering and study leader, said in a statement. “However, there is a very serious difference in the effectiveness of different masks when it comes to controlling aerosols.”
“Much of this may sound like common sense,” he admitted. “There is a reason, for example, why doctors wear N95 masks – they work much better. The novelty here is that we have provided solid numbers and rigorous analysis to support this hypothesis.”
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The study comes after some of the top health experts started suggesting better face masks during the Delta variant soaring. In an interview with CNN on August 2, Michael Osterholm, PhD, epidemiologist and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, argued that it was time for people to upgrade cloth masks, bandanas and alligators which do very little to protect against the transmission of the virus.
“We need to talk about better masking,” he argued. “We need to talk about N95 respirators, which would do a lot for people who have not yet been vaccinated or who have not been infected before. Protect them and prevent others who might become infected after being vaccinated from exhaling the virus.”
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Osterholm was not the first expert to advocate for upgrading PPE. During an appearance on CBS ‘ Confront the nation July 25, Scott Gottlieb, MD, a former Food & Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner, argued that in addition to focusing on vaccinations, a good-quality mask was needed to protect against the virus. “I think, however, that if you plan to wear a mask, the quality of the mask matters. So if you can get your hands on a KN95 mask or an N95 mask, that will give you a lot more protection,” he said. .
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