Cloth Masks May Prevent Transmission of COVID-19: An Evidence-Based, Risk-Based Approach.

Catherine M Clase,Johannes F E Mann,Roberto Pecoits-Filho,Rupert C L Beale,Meg Jardine,Edouard L Fu,Juan J Carrero,Meera Joseph,Wolfgang C Winkelmayer,Myrna B Dolovich

doi:10.7326/m20-2567

Abstract

As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed across the world, governments, international agencies, policymakers, and public health officials began recommending widespread use of nonmedical cloth masks to r...

Highlights

Physical distancing, hand hygiene, and disinfection of surfaces are the cornerstones of infection control during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic
Filtration efficiency is the ability of a material to block transmission; it is expressed as a percentage (Figure) and assessed using surrogate markers, including biological aerosols
Mask standards set by ASTM International require tests with latex spheres and aerosolized Staphylococcus aureus (1), but masks are not assessed separately for every pathogen: Filtration efficiency depends on the physical retention of particles of different sizes, regardless of which pathogen the particle contains

Summary

Introduction

Hand hygiene, and disinfection of surfaces are the cornerstones of infection control during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Filtration efficiency is the ability of a material to block transmission; it is expressed as a percentage (Figure) and assessed using surrogate markers, including biological aerosols. Cloth can block droplets and aerosols, and layers add efficiency.

Results

Conclusion