Effectiveness of surgical masks against influenza bioaerosols

Booth, Catherine; Clayton, M. P.; Crook, B.; Gawn, Jonathan M.

doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2013.02.007

Cited by 120 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…First, the experimental setup in this study did not comply with any formal regulatory standards. Second, we tested artificially produced aerosol particles of 3 predefined sizes and not viruscontaining particles as is sometimes performed (Fabian et al 2008, Makison Booth et al 2013. Third, it is likely that particles from a sneeze may be substantially larger than the particles tested in our setup (Han et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The particles we tested were of the same size as found in aerosols of healthy patients and patients with influenza during coughing, assisted and regular breathing where a majority of particles have been found to be less than 1 µm (Papineni and Rosenthal 1997, Yang et al 2007, Fabian et al 2008, Wan et al 2014. Most testing and certification protocols for respiratory protective equipment use very high concentrations of particles in the range of 7-10×10 11 /m 3 (Derrick and Gomersall 2004, Gawn et al 2008, Makison Booth et al 2013. Even the highest concentrations of particles generated in our study were markedly lower than in other published studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does a surgical helmet provide protection against aerosol transmitted disease?

2020

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Background and purpose — The COVID-19 pandemic caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2 has led to a global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). Various alternatives to ordinary PPE have been suggested to reduce transmission, which is primarily through droplets and aerosols. For many years orthopedic surgeons have been using surgical helmets as personal protection against blood-borne pathogens during arthroplasty surgery. We have investigated the possibility of using the Stryker Flyte surgical helmet as a respiratory protective device against airborne- and droplet-transmitted disease, since the helmet shares many features with powered air-purifying respirators. Materials and methods — Using an aerosol particle generator, we determined the filtration capacity of the Stryker Flyte helmet by placing particle counters measuring the concentrations of 0.3, 0.5, and 5 µm particles inside and outside of the helmet. Results — We found that the helmet has insufficient capacity for filtrating aerosol particles, and, for 0.3 µm sized particles, we even recorded an accumulation of particles inside the helmet. Interpretation — We conclude that the Stryker Flyte surgical helmet should not be used as a respiratory protective device when there is a risk for exposure to aerosol containing SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in accordance with the recommendation from the manufacturer

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does a surgical helmet provide protection against aerosol transmitted disease?

2020

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“…For medical masks, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has established guidelines for effective virus reduction combined with reduction factors [54]. Typically, certified and medical masks can effectively reduce influenza virus loads [55]. Leung et al described the effectiveness of surgical face masks (with ear loops, cat.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Mask or no mask for COVID-19: A public health and market study

et al. 2020

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Efficient strategies to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are peremptory to relieve the negatively impacted public health and global economy, with the full scope yet to unfold. In the absence of highly effective drugs, vaccines, and abundant medical resources, many measures are used to manage the infection rate and avoid exhausting limited hospital resources. Wearing masks is among the non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) measures that could be effectively implemented at a minimum cost and without dramatically disrupting social practices. The mask-wearing guidelines vary significantly across countries. Regardless of the debates in the medical community and the global mask production shortage, more countries and regions are moving forward with recommendations or mandates to wear masks in public. Our study combines mathematical modeling and existing scientific evidence to evaluate the potential impact of the utilization of normal medical masks in public to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. We consider three key factors that contribute to the effectiveness of wearing a quality mask in reducing the transmission risk, including the mask aerosol reduction rate, mask population coverage, and mask availability. We first simulate the impact of these three factors on the virus reproduction number and infection attack rate in a general population. Using the intervened viral transmission route by wearing a mask, we further model the impact of mask-wearing on the epidemic curve with increasing mask awareness and availability. Our study indicates that wearing a face mask can be effectively combined with social distancing to flatten the epidemic curve. Wearing a mask presents a rational way to implement as an NPI to combat COVID-19. We recognize our study provides a projection based only on currently available data and estimates potential probabilities. As such, our model warrants further validation studies.

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“…Surgical and cotton masks are the simplest found in the market. They are made with cotton fiber and are usually indicated for protecting against biological risks such as the H1N1 virus [ 46 ]. Activated charcoal masks are efficient against chemicals such as pesticides used by farmers [ 47 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk Communication Concerning Welding Fumes for the Primary Preventive Care of Welding Apprentices in Southern Brazil

Cézar-Vaz

Bonow

Vaz

2015

IJERPH

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This study’s aim was to assess the perceptions of welding apprentices concerning welding fumes being associated with respiratory and cardiovascular disorders and assess the implementation of risk communication as a primary prevention tool in the welding training process. This quasi-experimental, non-randomized study with before-and-after design was conducted with 84 welding apprentices in Southern Brazil. Poisson Regression analysis was used. Relative Risk was the measure used with a 95% confidence interval and 5% (p ≤ 0.05) significance level. Significant association was found between perceptions of worsened symptoms of respiratory disorders caused by welding fumes and educational level (p = 0.049), the use of goggles to protect against ultraviolet rays (p = 0.023), and access to services in private health facilities without insurance coverage (p = 0.001). Apprentices younger than 25 years old were 4.9 times more likely to perceive worsened cardiovascular symptoms caused by welding fumes after risk communication (RR = 4.91; CI 95%: 1.09 to 22.2). The conclusion is that risk communication as a primary preventive measure in continuing education processes implemented among apprentices, who are future welders, was efficacious. Thus, this study confirms that risk communication can be implemented as a primary prevention tool in welding apprenticeships.

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Effectiveness of surgical masks against influenza bioaerosols

Cited by 120 publications

References 21 publications

Does a surgical helmet provide protection against aerosol transmitted disease?

Does a surgical helmet provide protection against aerosol transmitted disease?

Mask or no mask for COVID-19: A public health and market study

Risk Communication Concerning Welding Fumes for the Primary Preventive Care of Welding Apprentices in Southern Brazil

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