The masks, with or without features intended for enhancing comfort, provide protection against both small- and large-size pathogens. Importantly, the mask appears to be highly efficient for filtration of pathogens, including influenza and rhinoviruses, as well as the fine particulates (PM) present in aerosols that represent a greater challenge for many types of dental and surgical masks. This renders this individual-use N95 respiratory mask an improvement over the former types of masks for protection against a variety of environmental contaminants including PM and pathogens such as influenza and rhinoviruses.
Objective: To 1) characterize the decay curve of infective SARS-CoV-2 over time on the surface of cardboard packaging and plastic mailer packaging; 2) characterize the transferability over time of virus-inoculated cardboard packaging and plastic mailer packaging to skin. Methods: We inoculated samples of plastic and cardboard packaging with a titer of SARS-CoV-2 > 10 6 TCID 50 / mL to evaluate the survivability and transferability to the skin (pig skin) over time. A cell culture-based infectivity assay (TCID 50 ) was used to determine viral titers. Regression analysis was used to characterize decay curves. Results: The time that SARS-CoV-2 remained transferable to skin was reduced on both packaging substrates compared to the total time of survivability, though cardboard demonstrated a substantially larger reduction. Virus inoculated plastic substrates continued to transfer the virus to the skin after 7 hours of holding time and regression analysis predicts this transferability would remain detectable up to 9.5 hours of holding time. Inoculated cardboard substrates demonstrated detectable transfer at 15 minutes of holding time, but no viable virus could be detected on the skin after 30 minutes of holding time. Conclusions: The type of material used as a packaging substrate substantially modifies the potential for SARS-CoV-2 fomite transmission. The use of materials that limit fomite transmission from packaging should be considered among strategies to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Future research should investigate the generalizability of these findings for other viral pathogens that potentially transmit via fomite.
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