The use of any kind of protective mask indoors is associated with significantly increased protection against coronavirus, with high-quality masks N95 and KN95 offering the highest safety against infection, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Indoors, surgical masks reduce our chances of being infected with the virus by 66%, according to the CDC. But the chances are reduced by 83% with the use of N95 and KN95 masks, which fit snugly on the face and are often used by health professionals, according to the US Health Service.
Regarding the use of a fabric mask, it seemed to reduce by 56% the chances of being diagnosed positive for the virus, however, these data do not have much statistical value.
“These real-world data underscore the importance of regular use of protective masks or respirators to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection (when we are) in public or indoors, where people congregate,” the CDC said in its weekly report. morbidity and mortality data.
Masks are a controversial issue
According to the Washington Post, the use of masks has been a controversial issue since the early days of the pandemic, when health officials told citizens not to buy masks, as they said they had to be reserved for health workers at the time. . The government, however, quickly changed course on the use of a mask as a means of protection against the airborne virus, and urged everyone to wear face masks.
The debate over whether the use of a mask should be mandatory, as well as who can decide this and under what circumstances, continues to this day.
“There are still people who say that using a mask does not work,” said Lindsay Marr, an expert on airborne viruses, who did not participate in the new study. He said the CDC report further supports the use of the mask, even providing additional information from the real world.
In addition, Jose Luis Jimenez, a professor of chemistry at the University of Colorado, who also did not participate in the study, e-mailed that “it provides even more evidence of what we already know: It is a virus that is transmitted mainly through air and for this reason we have a pandemic that thrives indoors. The use of a mask in these areas reduces the contagion, with the protective effect increasing depending on how high the quality of the mask is and how well it fits “.
How the research was conducted
The survey was conducted by the California Department of Public Health from February 18 to December 1, 2021 – before the US faced the Omicron wave.
The researchers studied 652 people who had recently tested positive for the virus and compared them with 1,176 people who tested negative. They were all asked if they had been in shops, churches, schools, restaurants or other indoor gatherings in the 14 days prior to the positive test. They were also asked if they used masks and if so, how often.
In addition, the participants were compared, among other things, based on their vaccination status.
During the last three months of the survey, 534 of the participants were asked what kind of mask they wore. The researchers acknowledged that relying on participants' memory might limit the reliability of the study's findings, although they did try to minimize that risk. In addition, they did not take into account other protection measures that participants may have taken, such as keeping distance.
Nevertheless, the benefits of using a mask have proven to be significant. They further strengthened the evidence – both laboratory and real-world – to show that masks are an effective means of shielding the coronavirus.
“It seems that if one is careful and always wears a good quality mask, the risk of being positive for Covid-19 is significantly reduced,” notes Mar.
Source: in.gr
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