China confirms aerosol spread of Covid-19, frontline medical workers need to wear right masks

Singapore — The health authorities in China have found that Covid-19 can be spread through the air, or aerosol transmission, in cases where an individual is exposed to high concentrations of droplets in the air in a relatively closed environment for a sustained period of time.

This is why front line medical workers need to wear the right masks.

This finding was announced on Wednesday (Feb 19).

The number of infected medical personnel in China bears witness to the new findings: 1,716 medical workers had been infected with Covid-19 as of Feb 14. Six have died from the disease.

As a mask is necessary in such an environment, definitely in a hospital taking in Covid-19 patients, the question is what type of mask offers the best protection.

Read related: S’pore to develop local manufacturing capabilities to produce face masks

According to Professor Joseph Kwan of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, respirators, commonly known as N95 masks, which fit the wearer’s face snugly and have built-in filters, provide far better protection than surgical masks.

“Respirators are designed to protect the user, because they want to keep the contaminants out,” he said, while surgical masks, “actually in the healthcare environment are meant to protect the patients”.

N95 respirator masks are now worn by all the medical staff after a trial at the Zhongnan Hospital in China. Since this was implemented, there have been no new cases of Covid-19 from among them. /TISG

S’pore to develop local manufacturing capabilities to produce face masks