Coronavirus pandemic: Can surgical masks be reused?

Health authorities say probably the most widespread anti-Covid weapon — surgical masks — have to be thrown away after a single use, however environmental considerations are pushing some scientists to query this suggestion.

As the coronavirus continues to unfold, masks have in lots of locations change into obligatory on public transport, in retailers and at work.

But price has change into a difficulty, as has the very fact so many disposable plastic masks wind up in waterways and the oceans.

One various is reusable fabric masks, however many individuals favor single-use surgical masks as a result of they’re lighter and individually cheaper.

“Medical masks are for single use only,” the World Health Organization has mentioned. “Discard the mask immediately, preferably into a closed bin.”

But within the context of scarcities throughout the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic the WHO allowed in a April report for the resuse of decontaminated disposable masks when there’s a “critical PPE (personal protective equipment) shortage, or lack of PPE.”

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed — in emergency circumstances — hydrogen peroxide vapour to decontaminate the N95 masks worn by healthcare employees.

Other strategies to purify single-use masks embrace exposing them to excessive temperatures or ultraviolet radiation.

But these strategies are inconvenient for folks at house, mentioned French microbiologist and member of Adios Corona, Denis Corpet.

– Seven-day technique –

Adios Corona — a gaggle of scientists who present data on Covid-19 to the general public — recommends “placing the mask in a paper envelope with the date clearly marked, and leaving it for seven days”.

“Several scientific studies show that viruses are almost all dead on a mask after seven days,” mentioned Corpet.

A research printed in The Lancet discovered that solely 0.1 % of the virus on the skin floor of the masks was nonetheless detectable after one week.

This technique, nonetheless, will not be acceptable for healthcare employees uncovered to excessive viral masses.

Peter Tsai, the inventor of N95 electrostatically charged filter materials, agrees with the seven-day technique.

But he suggests leaving used masks out within the open for every week earlier than reuse, a cycle he says might be repeated 5 to 10 occasions.

Disposable masks may also be positioned within the oven, Tsai informed AFP, ideally at a temperature between 70 and 75 levels Celsius (158 and 167 levels Fahrenheit) — not too excessive to keep away from burning the plastic, however sufficiently scorching to kill the virus.

Washing masks in a washer, nonetheless, will not be a good suggestion.

“Washing without detergent may not wash away the virus,” Tsai mentioned. “And washing with detergent will erase the (electrostatic) charges,” diminishing its effectivity.

French shoppers’ rights group UFC-Que Choisir washed surgical masks at 60C, put them within the dryer, and ironed them. After 10 such cycles, the masks nonetheless filtered at the very least 90 % of 3-micron particles.

“Apart from a slight felting, the washed surgical masks were at least as efficient as the best cloth masks,” UFC-Que Choisir reported final week.

– ‘Like underwear’ –

Researcher Philippe Vroman from French engineering college Ensait got here to the identical conclusion.

After 5 washes, “there are practically no differences (of filtration) for particles of 3 microns,” Vroman mentioned, on the premise of preliminary outcomes not but printed in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

“And I would rather we swap masks every four hours and wash them, rather than wearing them several days in a row as some people do. It’s a bit like underwear,” he mentioned.

But not all scientists agree.

“Washing the mask at home could potentially cause a secondary contamination and spread the virus if washing is not set appropriately,” mentioned Kaiming Ye, head of the biomedical engineering division at New York’s Binghamton University.

Until extra analysis is printed on the matter, official recommendation from well being authorities will not be set to vary.

“Single-use surgical masks must be thrown into the bin after use,” mentioned France’s well being authority DGS, however famous that extra research have been underway.

(This story has been printed from a wire company feed with out modifications to the textual content. Only the headline has been modified.)

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