While several Belgian cities are calling on their citizens to sew protective masks against coronavirus, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is sounding the alarm: in a document dated 26 March, the EU agency believes that cloth masks are not sufficiently protective and that in an emergency situation it is even better to consider sterilising used masks.
This document, intended for hospitals and health authorities, examines the different options available to them in the event of a major shortage of specialized surgical and respiratory masks (FFP2 and FFP3).
At the outset, the ECDC notes that “common fabric masks are not considered protective against respiratory viruses and their use should not be encouraged”. The EU agency points out that these masks “may even increase the risk of infection due to moisture, fluid diffusion and retention of the virus”, referring to the high rate of particle penetration through the fabric (estimated to be in the range of 40-90%). The ECDC notes that its US counterpart recommends the use of cloth masks only as an interim and last resort.
The document also advises against the reuse of surgical masks normally designed for single use. While this practice can be considered for diseases such as tuberculosis, it is much less so in the case of Sras-CoV-2, which survives on the surfaces of materials.
The EU agency notes, however, that “contamination of the surface of the respirator mask can be avoided by placing a medical mask over it or by wearing a face shield that can be cleaned”. It also notes that in the event of a severe shortage, certain sterilization methods could be considered, such as steam sterilization, gamma irradiation, ozone decontamination, etc.
Furthermore, the ECDC experts regret that “so far, manufacturers have had no reason or incentive to develop decontamination methods or to introduce reusable masks”, whereas, according to them, “there is an urgent need to develop reusable masks that can be decontaminated”.
See the study: https://bit.ly/2ycBpTk (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)