Face mask fit modifications that improve source control performance

Blachère, Françoise M.; Lemons, Angela R.; Coyle, Jayme P.; Derk, Raymond C.; Lindsley, William G.; Beezhold, Donald H.; Woodfork, Karen; Duling, Matthew G.; Boutin, Brenda; Boots, Theresa; Harris, James R.; Nurkiewicz, Timothy R.; Noti, John D.

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2021.10.041

Cited by 24 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…44 Masks can be further adjusted to improve fit. 45 Reductions in risk will likely be greater than reported in this study if either party is wearing an N95 respirator 43 or layering a wellfitting cotton mask on top of a non-medical surgical mask. 46 While the present modeling study is intended to provide mechanistic insights into the impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions on airborne transmission of pathogens, the modeling framework is intentionally idealized.…”

Section: Layering Controlsmentioning

confidence: 68%

High efficacy of layered controls for reducing exposure to airborne pathogens

Fierce

Hamilton

2022

Indoor Air

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To optimize strategies for curbing the transmission of airborne pathogens, the efficacy of three key controls—face masks, ventilation, and physical distancing—must be well understood. In this study, we used the Quadrature‐based model of Respiratory Aerosol and Droplets to quantify the reduction in exposure to airborne pathogens from various combinations of controls. For each combination of controls, we simulated thousands of scenarios that represent the tremendous variability in factors governing airborne transmission and the efficacy of mitigation strategies. While the efficacy of any individual control was highly variable among scenarios, combining universal mask‐wearing with distancing of 1 m or more reduced the median exposure by more than 99% relative to a close, unmasked conversation, with further reductions if ventilation is also enhanced. The large reductions in exposure to airborne pathogens translated to large reductions in the risk of initial infection in a new host. These findings suggest that layering controls is highly effective for reducing transmission of airborne pathogens and will be critical for curbing outbreaks of novel viruses in the future.

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Section: Layering Controlsmentioning

confidence: 68%

High efficacy of layered controls for reducing exposure to airborne pathogens

Fierce

Hamilton

2022

Indoor Air

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“…This suggests that air sampling is suitable as a surveillance method in areas with mask usage, such as in healthcare settings which require staff to don PPE. At the same time, this also emphasizes the potential limitations of non-pharmaceutical interventions in preventing transmission and highlights the effectiveness of a surveillance system to complement public health measures ( 46 , 47 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Detection of hospital environmental contamination during SARS-CoV-2 Omicron predominance using a highly sensitive air sampling device

Tan

Ang²,

Tay³

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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Background and objectivesThe high transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 has exposed weaknesses in our infection control and detection measures, particularly in healthcare settings. Aerial sampling has evolved from passive impact filters to active sampling using negative pressure to expose culture substrate for virus detection. We evaluated the effectiveness of an active air sampling device as a potential surveillance system in detecting hospital pathogens, for augmenting containment measures to prevent nosocomial transmission, using SARS-CoV-2 as a surrogate.MethodsWe conducted air sampling in a hospital environment using the AerosolSenseTM air sampling device and compared it with surface swabs for their capacity to detect SARS-CoV-2.ResultsWhen combined with RT-qPCR detection, we found the device provided consistent SARS-CoV-2 detection, compared to surface sampling, in as little as 2 h of sampling time. The device also showed that it can identify minute quantities of SARS-CoV-2 in designated “clean areas” and through a N95 mask, indicating good surveillance capacity and sensitivity of the device in hospital settings.ConclusionActive air sampling was shown to be a sensitive surveillance system in healthcare settings. Findings from this study can also be applied in an organism agnostic manner for surveillance in the hospital, improving our ability to contain and prevent nosocomial outbreaks.

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“…In reality, various masks, especially cloth masks, do not always fit tightly against the wearer’s face, and these openings can serve as a transmission route for various pathogens. Therefore, in addition to FE, another important property of the mask is fit because the same mask can protect differently depending on the fit; the better the fit, the better the protection [ 37 ]. Breathability is another characteristic to consider when discussing mask protection.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Different Experimental Setups to Determine Viral Filtration Efficiency of Face Masks

Filipić

Fric

Ravnikar

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many new materials and masks came onto the market. To determine their suitability, several standards specify which properties to test, including bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE), while none describe how to determine viral filtration efficiency (VFE), a property that is particularly important in times of pandemic. Therefore, we focused our research on evaluating the suitability and efficiency of different systems for determining VFE. Here, we evaluated the VFE of 6 mask types (e.g., a surgical mask, a respirator, material for mask production, and cloth masks) with different filtration efficiencies in four experimental setups and compared the results with BFE results. The study included 17 BFE and 22 VFE experiments with 73 and 81 mask samples tested, respectively. We have shown that the masks tested had high VFE (>99% for surgical masks and respirators, ≥98% for material, and 87–97% for cloth masks) and that all experimental setups provided highly reproducible and reliable VFE results (coefficient of variation < 6%). Therefore, the VFE tests described in this study can be integrated into existing standards for mask testing.

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Face mask fit modifications that improve source control performance

Cited by 24 publications

References 21 publications

High efficacy of layered controls for reducing exposure to airborne pathogens

High efficacy of layered controls for reducing exposure to airborne pathogens

Detection of hospital environmental contamination during SARS-CoV-2 Omicron predominance using a highly sensitive air sampling device

Assessment of Different Experimental Setups to Determine Viral Filtration Efficiency of Face Masks

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