Effectiveness of Face Masks in Preventing Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2

• Published in: mSphere Vol. 5; no. 5
• Main Authors: Ueki, Hiroshi, Furusawa, Yuri, Iwatsuki-Horimoto, Kiyoko, Imai, Masaki, Kabata, Hiroki, Nishimura, Hidekazu, Kawaoka, Yoshihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Microbiology 21.10.2020
• Subjects: Adhesives; Aerosols; Air Microbiology; Betacoronavirus; Clinical Science and Epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control; Coronavirus Infections - transmission; Coronaviruses; Cotton; COVID-19; Disease transmission; droplets; Efficiency; Experiments; Face; face masks; Health Personnel - education; Humans; Masks; Masks - classification; Masks - standards; Medical personnel; Medicine; N95 masks; Observation; Pandemics - prevention & control; Particle size; Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control; Pneumonia, Viral - transmission; Respiration; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Ventilation; Ventilators; Viruses; Japan; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; aerosols; droplets; N95 masks; face masks

Airborne simulation experiments showed that cotton masks, surgical masks, and N95 masks provide some protection from the transmission of infective SARS-CoV-2 droplets/aerosols; however, medical masks (surgical masks and even N95 masks) could not completely block the transmission of virus droplets/ae...