New advice to wear a cloth muzzle in the time of...

Agencies

A new publication from researchers at the University of New South Wales, Sydney advises daily washing of cloth masks to reduce the potential for contamination and transmission of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.

Cloth masks should be washed daily at high temperatures to protect against infection, according to a new analysis from the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales in Sydney published in the BMJ Open.

“Cloth masks and surgical masks should be considered” contaminated “after use, said Professor Raina MacIntyre, who conducted the study. “Unlike surgical masks that are discarded after use, cloth masks are reused. While it may be tempting to use the same mask for several days in a row, wash it by hand or wipe it off quickly, our research indicates that this increases the risk of contamination.”

The researchers analyzed unpublished data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT, a type of experimental scientific research pattern, especially in medicine) that they published in 2015.

This study remains the only randomized controlled study ever conducted of the effectiveness of cloth masks in preventing viral infection.

Professor MacIntyre said: “Given the potential impacts on health workers or community members who use cloth masks during the pandemic, we delved into 2011 data on whether health workers in our study wash their masks daily, and if so, how did they wash the masks. That if cloth masks are washed in a hospital laundry, they are just as effective as a surgical mask. “

It is important to note that since the study was conducted more than five years ago, the researchers did not test for SARS-CoV-2 and, instead, included common respiratory pathogens such as influenza, rhinovirus, and seasonal coronavirus in their analysis.

They relied on self-reported washing data and were performed by health workers in high-risk wards in a healthcare environment.

“While it is unlikely that a common person wearing a cloth mask would come in contact with the same amount of pathogens as a health care worker on a high-risk ward, we still recommend daily washing of cloth masks,” MacIntyre said.

He added: “Covid-19 is one of the highly contagious viruses, and there is still much that we do not know about it, and therefore, it is important that we take all necessary precautions to protect against it and ensure the effectiveness of masks.”

According to the analysis, washing masks by hand did not provide adequate protection, as health care workers who manually washed their masks themselves were at double risk of infection compared to those who used hospital washing machines. The majority of subjects in the RCT washed their masks by hand, and this may be the reason for the poor performance of cloth masks in the original trial.

“The World Health Organization recommends that masks be washed in a washing machine with hot 60 ° C water and laundry detergent,” says Professor MacIntyre. “Our analysis results support this recommendation. Washing machines often have a default temperature of 40 ° C or 60 ° C, so check the setting. Message.” What is clear from this research is that cloth masks work well, but they must be washed properly every time before wearing again, otherwise they will not be effective. “