Effectiveness of face masks in blocking the transmission of SARS-CoV-2: A preliminary evaluation of masks used by SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals

Abstract

In 2019, a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is transmitted via the airborne route, caused a new pandemic namely, “coronavirus disease 2019” (COVID-19). Although the effectiveness of face masks to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is debated, no study has evaluated the virus-blocking efficacy of masks used by patients. We aimed to evaluate this efficacy of masks used by SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals. Data, masks used, and nasopharyngeal swab samples were obtained from these patients. Forty-five paired samples of nasopharyngeal swabs and masks were obtained and processed; the majority of masks were woven. Viral RNAs were amplified using quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction and detected only on the inner parts of masks. Median viral load (VL) values of swabs and masks were 1.954x106 and 2,51x103, respectively. Statistically, there was a difference of approximately 1000 RNA copies/mL between swabs and masks and no significant difference in VL values among different types of masks. There were statistically significant differences in VL values between men and women and between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Our findings suggest the blocking of virus transmission by different types of masks and reinforce the use of masks by both infected and non-infected individuals.

Evaluation of Respiratory Particle Emission during Otorhinolaryngological Procedures in the Context of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

“…The results confirm that both MNC and FFP2 masks are an effective protection against aerosol particle and large particle emission during ENT procedures [30][31][32]. Both mask types reduced the particle emission down to the background noise level of the OR.…”

Effectiveness of Silver Nanoparticles Deposited in Facemask Material for Neutralising Viruses

“…In addition, there is, as far as we are aware, no information available on what happens to the viral load in masks after use. A recent study has shown that, typically, a face mask contains about 2500 virus particles after 2–3 h use by an infected patient [ 52 ]. There is clearly a potential for virus particles to survive and be released back into the environment, but with the treatment described, up to 98% of these particles will have been rendered non-infectious.…”

Nanomaterials to combat SARS-CoV-2: Strategies to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19

“…Physical barriers are required and are therefore very useful to protect ourselves and the others from infection, contagion and community spreading of the virus, lowering the concomitant emergence of viral variants (Střížová et al, 2020;Swain, 2020;Mello et al, 2022), which threatens individual and community immunity that might have been generated during previous infections or by vaccines (Arora et al, 2021;Boehm et al, 2021;Caniels et al, 2021;Arora et al, 2022;Salehi-Vaziri et al, 2022), as it has happened with the appearance of several Omicron VOCs (Cao et al, 2022;Flemming, 2022;Hachmann et al, 2022). Therefore, vaccines are the tools to elicit immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection, reinfection by VOCs and severe COVID-19 disease, where face masks enhance vaccine efficiency in this crucial community and worldwide task.…”