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dc.contributor.authorMueller, Amy V et al.
dc.date.accessioned2020-06-30T19:07:37Z
dc.date.available2020-06-30T19:07:37Z
dc.date.issued2020-05-18
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.17.20069567en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12663/1867
dc.description.abstractIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, cloth masks are being used to control the spread of virus, but the efficacy of these loose-fitting masks is not well known. Here, tools and methods typically used to assess tight-fitting respirators were modified to quantify the efficacy of community- and commercially-produced fabric masks as PPE. Two particle counters concurrently sample ambient air and air inside the masks; mask performance is evaluated by mean particle removal efficiency and statistical variability when worn as designed and with a nylon overlayer, to independently assess fit and material. Worn as designed both commercial surgical masks and cloth masks had widely varying effectiveness (53-75% and 28-90% filtration efficiency, respectively). Most surgical-style masks improved with the nylon overlayer, indicating poor fit. This rapid testing method uses widely available hardware, requires only a few calculations from collected data, and provides both a holistic and aspect-wise evaluation of mask performance.en_US
dc.languageEnglishen_US
dc.subjectCOVID-19en_US
dc.subjectCoronavirusen_US
dc.subjectPandemicsen_US
dc.subjectMasksen_US
dc.subjectPersonal Protective Equipmenten_US
dc.subjectCoronavirus Infectionsen_US
dc.titleQuantitative Method for Comparative Assessment of Particle Filtration Efficiency of Fabric Masks as Alternatives to Standard Surgical Masks for PPEen_US
eihealth.countryGlobal (WHO/OMS)en_US
eihealth.categoryInfection prevention and control, including health care workers protectionen_US
eihealth.typePublished Articleen_US
eihealth.maincategoryProtect Health Care Workers / Proteger la Salud de los Trabajadoresen_US
dc.relation.ispartofjournalmedRxiven_US


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