Talk to The Plates, Curtailing Transmission of Bacteria in The Air by Wearing Masks

Abstract

Airborne bacteria come from many different sources. Hospital employees as well as the general public may harbor microorganisms and disseminate them through the air. It is well known that coughing and sneezing produce droplet nuclei that harbor organisms for long periods of time in the air. However, few people realize that talking will disseminate microorganisms as well. During this pandemic, it is clear that wearing a mask can protect people from possible infection and transmission of the virus as well as infectious bacteria. In the operating room, masks are worn so that the spread of microorganisms will be minimized. During this pandemic, it is mandated by CDC to wear a mask when interacting with other people and to maintain a 6-foot social distancing [1,2]. The purpose of this study was to compare the microorganisms that would be disseminated by reading a childhood nursery rhyme. This study will demonstrate how bacteria can disseminate by talking without a mask and could very well also transmit viral particles. The results of the study were kept anonymous and shared with the voluntary study.