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New research may challenge common assumptions regarding use of face masks and respirators to prevent the spread of H1N1 viruses, according to a study in the Sept. issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
The study concludes that having infected individuals wear basic surgical masks may do more to hinder the spread of H1N1 than having uninfected individuals wear more advanced respirators that do not fit properly.
The new research should prompt public health officials to rethink how best to control the spread of novel viruses during future pandemics.
Currently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention recommend the use of N95 respirators (a mask that fits closely to the face) for protection from the 2009 H1N1virus. The recommendation is based on the assumption that these respirators efficiently filter airborne droplets that carry the virus, thus protecting the wearer from infected individuals.
However, Gerald C Smaldone, MD, PhD and Keith T. Diaz, MD, researchers at Stony Brook University Medical Center, conducted experiments that showed N95 respirators do not achieve the close fit to the face necessary to prevent airborne droplets from breaching the gap between the skin and the mask of uninfected individuals.
What?s more, the research shows that basic surgical masks worn by potentially infectious individuals may do a better job of preventing H1N1 spread by deflecting exhaled viruses away from those around them. ?For exhaled particles, our study demonstrates the value of manipulating the source rather than trying to simply protect the receiver," say the authors.
The researchers conclude that the assumed filtration property of any type of mask ?does not play a significant role in reducing exposure to the recipient unless a respirator is physically sealed to the face of the source." The authors note that sealing the mask to the face is a daunting task not easily achieved. The authors performed their research using mannequins in a chamber constructed to simulate air flow between two persons.
The authors conclude: ?Deflection of exhaled particles, such as can be achieved with a surgical mask worn at the source, achieves far greater levels of protection than an N95 respirator on the recipient."
The study concludes that having infected individuals wear basic surgical masks may do more to hinder the spread of H1N1 than having uninfected individuals wear more advanced respirators that do not fit properly.
The new research should prompt public health officials to rethink how best to control the spread of novel viruses during future pandemics.
Currently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention recommend the use of N95 respirators (a mask that fits closely to the face) for protection from the 2009 H1N1virus. The recommendation is based on the assumption that these respirators efficiently filter airborne droplets that carry the virus, thus protecting the wearer from infected individuals.
However, Gerald C Smaldone, MD, PhD and Keith T. Diaz, MD, researchers at Stony Brook University Medical Center, conducted experiments that showed N95 respirators do not achieve the close fit to the face necessary to prevent airborne droplets from breaching the gap between the skin and the mask of uninfected individuals.
What?s more, the research shows that basic surgical masks worn by potentially infectious individuals may do a better job of preventing H1N1 spread by deflecting exhaled viruses away from those around them. ?For exhaled particles, our study demonstrates the value of manipulating the source rather than trying to simply protect the receiver," say the authors.
The researchers conclude that the assumed filtration property of any type of mask ?does not play a significant role in reducing exposure to the recipient unless a respirator is physically sealed to the face of the source." The authors note that sealing the mask to the face is a daunting task not easily achieved. The authors performed their research using mannequins in a chamber constructed to simulate air flow between two persons.
The authors conclude: ?Deflection of exhaled particles, such as can be achieved with a surgical mask worn at the source, achieves far greater levels of protection than an N95 respirator on the recipient."
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