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Study shows N95 masks near-perfect at blocking escape of airborne Covid-19
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – In a head-to-head comparison of masks worn by people with active COVID-19, the inexpensive “duckbill” N95 came out on top, stopping 98% of COVID-19 particles in the breath of infected people from escaping into the air. Led by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Public Health (SPH), results showed other masks also performed well, blocking at least 70% of viral particles from escaping from the source – an infected person’s exhaled breath.
The study started in May 2020, shortly after the pandemic began, and compared breath samples from volunteers who had active COVID-19, testing the performance of four commonly-used masks. “Data from our study suggests that a mildly symptomatic person with COVID-19 who is not wearing a mask exhales a little over two infectious doses per hour,” says first author Dr. Jianyu Lai, a postdoctoral researcher at the PHAB Lab. Milton says the design’s tight seal, a powerful filter, and large air space for breath to move around all contribute to the duckbill’s success.
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