Effectiveness of Surgical and Cotton Masks in Blocking SARS–CoV-2: A Controlled Comparison in 4 Patientsa
Seongman Bae, MD * ; Min-Chul Kim, MD * ; Ji Yeun Kim, PhD * ; Hye-Hee Cha, BS; Joon Seo Lim, PhD; Jiwon Jung, MD; Min-Jae Kim, MD; Dong Kyu Oh, MD; Mi-Kyung Lee, MD; Seong-Ho Choi, MD; Minki Sung, PhD; Sang-Bum Hong, MD; Jin-Won Chung, MD; Sung-Han Kim, MD Article, Author, and Disclosure Inform Background: During respiratory viral infection, face masks are thought to prevent transmission ( 1 ). Whether face masks worn by patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevent contamination of the environment is uncertain ( 2 , 3 ). A previous study reported that surgical masks and N95 masks were equally effective in preventing the dissemination of influenza virus ( 4 ), so surgical masks might help prevent transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2 (SARS–CoV-2). However, the SARS–CoV-2 pandemic has contributed to shortages of both N95 and surgical masks, and cotton masks have gained interest as a substitute. Objective: To ev