tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg
. 2020 Sep 19;traa085.
doi: 10.1093/trstmh/traa085. Online ahead of print.
Should face masks be worn to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the postlockdown phase?
Francesco Landi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emanuele Marzetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maurizio Sanguinetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Francesca Ciciarello[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marcello Tritto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Francesca Benvenuto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Giulia Bramato[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Vincenzo Brandi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Angelo Carf?[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emanuela D'Angelo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Domenico Fusco[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maria Rita Lo Monaco[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anna Maria Martone[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Francesco Pagano[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sara Rocchi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Elisabetta Rota[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrea Russo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrea Salerno[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Paola Cattani[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Simona Marchetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Roberto Bernabei On Behalf Of The Gemelli Against Covid-Geriatric Team[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: In East Asia, face masks are commonly worn to reduce viral spread. In Euope and North America, however, their use has been stigmatised for a long time, although this view has radically changed during the ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Notwithstanding this, it is still unclear whether face masks worn by COVID-19 carriers may indeed prevent viral transmission and environmental contamination. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of surgical face masks in filtering SARS-CoV-2.
Methods: Four male patients with COVID-19 were recruited for the study. Two patients wore a surgical mask for 5 h, while two others did not. The spread of the virus in the environment was evaluated through the approved Allplex 2019-nCoV assay.
Results: In the room with the two patients without surgical masks, the swab performed on the headboard and sides of the beds was positive for SARS-CoV-2 contamination. In the other room, where two patients were wearing surgical masks, all of the swabs obtained after 5 h tested negative.
Conclusions: The results of the current study add to the growing body of literature supporting the use of face masks as a measure to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 by retaining potentially contagious droplets that can infect other people and/or contaminate surfaces. Based on the current evidence, face masks should therefore be considered a useful and low-cost device in addition to social distancing and hand hygiene during the postlockdown phase.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; health care organisation; non-pharmacological interventions; viral spread.
. 2020 Sep 19;traa085.
doi: 10.1093/trstmh/traa085. Online ahead of print.
Should face masks be worn to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the postlockdown phase?
Francesco Landi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emanuele Marzetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maurizio Sanguinetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Francesca Ciciarello[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marcello Tritto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Francesca Benvenuto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Giulia Bramato[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Vincenzo Brandi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Angelo Carf?[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emanuela D'Angelo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Domenico Fusco[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maria Rita Lo Monaco[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anna Maria Martone[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Francesco Pagano[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sara Rocchi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Elisabetta Rota[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrea Russo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrea Salerno[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Paola Cattani[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Simona Marchetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Roberto Bernabei On Behalf Of The Gemelli Against Covid-Geriatric Team[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32948871
- DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/traa085
Abstract
Background: In East Asia, face masks are commonly worn to reduce viral spread. In Euope and North America, however, their use has been stigmatised for a long time, although this view has radically changed during the ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Notwithstanding this, it is still unclear whether face masks worn by COVID-19 carriers may indeed prevent viral transmission and environmental contamination. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of surgical face masks in filtering SARS-CoV-2.
Methods: Four male patients with COVID-19 were recruited for the study. Two patients wore a surgical mask for 5 h, while two others did not. The spread of the virus in the environment was evaluated through the approved Allplex 2019-nCoV assay.
Results: In the room with the two patients without surgical masks, the swab performed on the headboard and sides of the beds was positive for SARS-CoV-2 contamination. In the other room, where two patients were wearing surgical masks, all of the swabs obtained after 5 h tested negative.
Conclusions: The results of the current study add to the growing body of literature supporting the use of face masks as a measure to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 by retaining potentially contagious droplets that can infect other people and/or contaminate surfaces. Based on the current evidence, face masks should therefore be considered a useful and low-cost device in addition to social distancing and hand hygiene during the postlockdown phase.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; health care organisation; non-pharmacological interventions; viral spread.