World news – AU – Covid-19: Can surgical masks be reused?

Health authorities say the most prevalent weapon to combat Covid – surgical masks – should be discarded after one use, but environmental concerns lead some scientists to question this recommendation.

As the Coronavirus continues to spread, masks in many places have become mandatory for public transport, shops and work. But cost has become an issue, as has the fact that many disposable plastic masks end up in waterways and oceans..

One alternative is reusable cloth masks, but many people prefer single-use surgical masks because they are individually lighter and cheaper..

The World Health Organization said: « Medical masks are for single use only. ». Dispose of the mask immediately, preferably in a sealed container. « But in the face of shortages during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in March and April, the World Health Organization in a report released in June permitted » exceptional measures « to disinfect disposal masks for reuse..

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends – in emergency situations – hydrogen peroxide vapor to disinfect N95 masks that are worn by healthcare workers.

Other methods of filtering single-use masks include exposing them to high temperatures or UV rays. But Denise Corbett, a French microbiologist and member of the Adios Corona organization, said these methods are not appropriate for people at home. .

Adios Corona – a group of scientists who are providing information on Covid-19 to the 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 nearly all viruses died on the mask after seven days, » Corbett said..

A study published in The Lancet found only 0. 1 percent of the virus on the outside of the mask is still detectable after one week. However, this method is not suitable for healthcare workers exposed to high viral loads.

Peter Tsai, inventor of the N95 filter with static electricity, agrees with the seven-day method.. But he suggests leaving used masks in the open for a week before reusing them, a cycle he says can be repeated five to ten times.

Tsai told AFP that disposable masks can also be placed in the oven, at an ideal temperature between 70 and 75 degrees Celsius (158 and 167 degrees Fahrenheit) – not too high to avoid burning the plastic, but hot enough to kill Virus.

« Washing without detergent may not remove the virus, » Tsai said.. “Washing with a detergent wipes out the (electrostatic) charges” and reduces its efficiency.

French consumer rights group UFC-Que Choisir washed the surgical masks at 60 ° C, placed them in the dryer and ironed them. After 10 such cycles, the masks still filtered out at least 90 percent of the 3-micron particles.

“Aside from the minor felting process, the surgical masks that were washed were at least as efficient as the best cloth masks,” UFC-Que Choisir reported last week.

After five washes, “there are practically no differences (in filtration) for particles as small as 3 microns,” Froman said, based on preliminary results not yet published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. .

“I prefer to exchange masks every four hours and wash them instead of wearing them for several days in a row, as some people do. It’s a bit like underwear. « .

“Washing the mask at home could cause secondary contamination and spread the virus if the laundry is not properly controlled,” said Kaiming Ye, chair of biomedical engineering at Binghamton University in New York.. .

Until more research is published on this issue, the official advice from health authorities will not change.

« Single-use surgical masks should be thrown in the trash after use, » said the French Health Authority DGS, but indicated that more studies are underway..

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Mask, Coronavirus