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Study of the use of a personalized peripheral sealing device on surgical face masks in high-risk situations against COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: A significant number of health care professionals subjected to high-risk situations have been infected by Covid-19 due to the lack of adequate protection equipment or the deficient safety margins that these present. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of a personal peripheral sealing device (PSD) on surgical face masks (SM) allows them to achieve double mask properties, by providing two-way protection to professionals or users. The proposed device is a thermoplastic resin ring composed of a reusable and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) designed to be used in a healthcare setting. Since it is a thermoplastic device, it can be molded and adapted to each individual, becoming personalized and ensuring a correct adjustment to the user's face. First, a qualitative fit test was performed using a saccharin solution (SS) to evaluate respiratory protective equipment in recruited professionals exposed to high-risk situations of infection by Covid-19. Individuals were divided into an intervention group, who used SM with the PSD, and a control group, who used SM without the PSD. In addition, a quantitative inward air leakage fit test was performed using a 2% sodium chloride (NaCl) aerosol in a sealed cabinet with probes sensitive to this substance, in order to validate the SM with the PSD as a Face Filtering Mask (FFP). Only 5% of the individuals who performed the qualitative fit test with the PSD perceived the sweet taste of the SS, while 100% of the individuals who performed the test without the PSD sensed it (p = 0.0001). In the quantitative fit test, the percentage of air leakage of 2% NaCl aerosol into the SM with the PSD was 6.5%, achieving the same range of air leakage as a FFP mask. Thus, the use of a personalized PLA thermoplastic PSD, together with an inexpensive and widely available SM, could have a significant impact in terms of preventive safety by providing bi-directional protection to its user.

SUBMITTER: Riutord-Sbert P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8345852 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the use of face masks has become increasingly recommended and even mandatory in community settings. To evaluate the risk of bacterial cross-contamination, this study analyzed the bacterial bioburden of disposable surgical masks and homemade cotton masks, and surveyed the habits and face mask preferences of the Flemish population. Using culture approaches and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we analyzed the microbial community on surgical and/or cotton face masks of 13 healthy volunteers after 4 h of wearing. Cotton and surgical masks contained on average 1.46 × 105 CFU/mask and 1.32 × 104 CFU/mask, respectively. Bacillus, Staphylococcus, and Acinetobacter spp. were mostly cultured from the masks and 43% of these isolates were resistant to ampicillin or erythromycin. Microbial profiling demonstrated a consistent difference between mask types. Cotton masks mainly contained Roseomonas, Paracoccus, and Enhydrobacter taxa and surgical masks Streptococcus and Staphylococcus. After 4 h of mask wearing, the microbiome of the anterior nares and the cheek showed a trend toward an altered beta-diversity. According to dedicated questions in the large-scale Corona survey of the University of Antwerp with almost 25,000 participants, only 21% of responders reported to clean their cotton face mask daily. Laboratory results indicated that the best mask cleaning methods were boiling at 100°C, washing at 60°C with detergent or ironing with a steam iron. Taken together, this study suggests that a considerable number of bacteria, including pathobionts and antibiotic resistant bacteria, accumulate on surgical and even more on cotton face masks after use. Based on our results, face masks should be properly disposed of or sterilized after intensive use. Clear guidelines for the general population are crucial to reduce the bacteria-related biosafety risk of face masks, and measures such as physical distancing and increased ventilation should not be neglected when promoting face mask use.

Project description:Many governments have instructed the population to wear simple mouse-and-nose covers or surgical face masks to protect themselves from droplet infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in public. However, the basic protection mechanisms and benefits of these masks remain controversial. Therefore, the aim of this work is to show from a fluid physics point of view under which circumstances these masks can protect against droplet infection. First of all, we show that the masks protect people in the surrounding area quite well, since the flow resistance of the face masks effectively prevents the spread of exhaled air, e.g. when breathing, speaking, singing, coughing and sneezing. Secondly, we provide visual evidence that typical household materials used by the population to make masks do not provide highly efficient protection against respirable particles and droplets with a diameter of 0.3-2 ?m as they pass through the materials largely unfiltered. According to our tests, only vacuum cleaner bags with fine dust filters show a comparable or even better filtering effect than commercial particle filtering FFP2/N95/KN95 half masks. Thirdly, we show that even simple mouse-and-nose covers made of good filter material cannot reliably protect against droplet infection in contaminated ambient air, since most of the air flows through gaps at the edge of the masks. Only a close-fitting, particle-filtering respirator offers good self-protection against droplet infection. Nevertheless, wearing simple homemade or surgical face masks in public is highly recommended if no particle filtrating respiratory mask is available. Firstly, because they protect against habitual contact of the face with the hands and thus serve as self-protection against contact infection. Secondly, because the flow resistance of the masks ensures that the air remains close to the head when breathing, speaking, singing, coughing and sneezing, thus protecting other people if they have sufficient distance from each other. However, if the distance rules cannot be observed and the risk of inhalation-based infection becomes high because many people in the vicinity are infectious and the air exchange rate is small, improved filtration efficiency masks are needed, to take full advantage of the three fundamental protective mechanisms these masks provide.

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Study of the use of a personalized peripheral sealing device on surgical face masks in high-risk situations against COVID-19.

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