70% usage of mask consistently can contain COVID-19: Study

NEW DELHI: A review of studies suggested that the type of material used and the duration of mask use play a key role in how effectively masks contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The study found that if around 70 per cent of the people used masks consistently, the COVID-19 pandemic could have been contained. The research has been published in the journal Physics of Fluids and it assessed the studies on face masks and reviewed epidemiological reports on the effectiveness of masks.

Dr Sanjay Kumar, Research Fellow, National University of Singapore, said that effective usage of masks such as surgical masks with 70 per cent effectiveness could eradicate the pandemic. He added that even cloth masks could contain the spread, if worn correctly. Scientists of the study said that size of droplets is the key factor in how the mask functions. Bigger droplets with the size of 5-10 microns are more common than the smaller ones which are more dangerous.

Scientists said that among all the types of masks used, N95 is the only one which filters aerosol-sized droplets. They found that facemasks made up of hybrid polymer materials could filter particles with high efficacy as well as cools the face due to heat escape from beneath the mask.