Cloth facemask

mask made of common textiles worn over the mouth and nose

A cloth facemask is a face covering which is used to cover the mouth and nose. As the name suggests, these masks are made of textiles. Cotton is commonly used. Starting with the 19th century, such masks have been used by healthcare professionals. They are also used to protect against air pollution, although they may not be very effective in protecting against air pollution.[1][2][3]

A simple cloth face covering made from denim
During the Spanish flu pandemic of 1919, a man is not allowed on a tram because he does not wear a mask.

Depending on the design, they can be effective stopping the transmission of disease spread by droplets of liquid. Today, healthcare professionals often use surgical masks or respirators, which offer better protection. A study done in 2010 found that 40 to 90 percent of particles pass through a cloth facemask.[4]

Cloth face masks are commonly used during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when surgical and other medical face coverings are not available.[5][6]

References change

  1. "Use Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow Spread | CDC". 2020-04-04. Archived from the original on 2020-04-04. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
  2. Garrison, Fielding Hudson (1921). An introduction to the history of medicine, with medical chronology, suggestions for study and bibliographic data. Gerstein - University of Toronto. Philadelphia W.B. Saunders.
  3. Peltier, Richard E. "Millions rely on cheap cloth masks that may provide little protection against deadly air pollution". The Conversation. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
  4. Rengasamy, Samy; Eimer, Benjamin; Shaffer, Ronald E. (October 2010). "Simple respiratory protection--evaluation of the filtration performance of cloth masks and common fabric materials against 20-1000 nm size particles". The Annals of Occupational Hygiene. 54 (7): 789–798. doi:10.1093/annhyg/meq044. ISSN 1475-3162. PMC 7314261. PMID 20584862.
  5. Bhattacharjee, Shovon; Bahl, Prateek; Chughtai, Abrar Ahmad; MacIntyre, C. Raina (2020-09-01). "Last-resort strategies during mask shortages: optimal design features of cloth masks and decontamination of disposable masks during the COVID-19 pandemic". BMJ Open Respiratory Research. 7 (1): e000698. doi:10.1136/bmjresp-2020-000698. ISSN 2052-4439. PMC 7484883. PMID 32913005.
  6. "Can face masks protect against the coronavirus?". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 2020-10-29.