Version 1
: Received: 26 October 2020 / Approved: 28 October 2020 / Online: 28 October 2020 (09:43:55 CET)
How to cite:
Gnanamuttupulle, M.; Ntundu, S.H.; Henke, O.; Moshi, A.A.; Msuya, D.; Chilonga, K.; Chugulu, S.G. Bacteria Filtration Efficiency of Different Face Masks Worn during COVID-19 Pandemic in North-Eastern Tanzania: An In Vitro Study. Preprints2020, 2020100574. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202010.0574.v1
Gnanamuttupulle, M.; Ntundu, S.H.; Henke, O.; Moshi, A.A.; Msuya, D.; Chilonga, K.; Chugulu, S.G. Bacteria Filtration Efficiency of Different Face Masks Worn during COVID-19 Pandemic in North-Eastern Tanzania: An In Vitro Study. Preprints 2020, 2020100574. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202010.0574.v1
Gnanamuttupulle, M.; Ntundu, S.H.; Henke, O.; Moshi, A.A.; Msuya, D.; Chilonga, K.; Chugulu, S.G. Bacteria Filtration Efficiency of Different Face Masks Worn during COVID-19 Pandemic in North-Eastern Tanzania: An In Vitro Study. Preprints2020, 2020100574. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202010.0574.v1
APA Style
Gnanamuttupulle, M., Ntundu, S.H., Henke, O., Moshi, A.A., Msuya, D., Chilonga, K., & Chugulu, S.G. (2020). Bacteria Filtration Efficiency of Different Face Masks Worn during COVID-19 Pandemic in North-Eastern Tanzania: An In Vitro Study. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202010.0574.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Gnanamuttupulle, M., Kondo Chilonga and Samuel G. Chugulu. 2020 "Bacteria Filtration Efficiency of Different Face Masks Worn during COVID-19 Pandemic in North-Eastern Tanzania: An In Vitro Study" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202010.0574.v1
Abstract
Increased demand for wearing face masks, lack of surgical masks and N95 respirators during the coronavirus pandemic created alternative needs for cloth masks. Therefore, to determine filtration efficacy, reusability and duration of wearing new and hand washed cloth masks, the bacteria filtration efficacy was tested using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Cotton cloth masks; single layer without pleats and with pleats, double layer with canvas filter in the middle, double layer with stiff filter in the middle, double layer with pleats on both sides and locally made and imported surgical masks and N95 respirators were used. Bacterial suspension was sprayed over outer surface and swabbed from inner surface at 0hrs, 4thhr, 8thhr and 12thhr. Similar procedure was performed to hand washed and ironed cotton cloth masks. After 24 hours of incubation, single layer without pleats and with pleats had no filtration efficacy(0-100%). Double layer with stiff filter in the middle and double layer with pleats on both sides had higher filtration efficacy(99.96-100%), this filtration efficacy remained up to three occasions of hand washing with soap and water, conferring protection up to 12hours. Filtration efficacy of surgical masks made locally, imported and N95 respirators were 90-100%, 99.99-100%, and 99.99-100% respectively.
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; face masks; filtration efficiency; Tanzania
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Immunology and Allergy
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Received:
9 November 2020
Commenter:
George Rweyemera
The commenter has declared there is no conflict of interests.
Comment:
The study is very relevant not only for this time of Covid-19 pandemic but for possible future respiratory disease outbreaks.
I think the study should have not only concentrate on cotton-made face masks but all other kind of fabrics as we know out there the public is using different fabrics in making face masks.
In the abstract one would expect to see clearly what is already known on the subject but what this reseach gonna offer.
The subject is conducted in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. One would as well expect to see the scale/magnitude of the disease(Covid-19) and weather one would conclude if there is still a demand for face masks or it is the issue of the past, because the study is conducted when the government hasn't reported any case of Covid-19 for months now.
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Commenter: George Rweyemera
The commenter has declared there is no conflict of interests.
I think the study should have not only concentrate on cotton-made face masks but all other kind of fabrics as we know out there the public is using different fabrics in making face masks.
In the abstract one would expect to see clearly what is already known on the subject but what this reseach gonna offer.
The subject is conducted in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. One would as well expect to see the scale/magnitude of the disease(Covid-19) and weather one would conclude if there is still a demand for face masks or it is the issue of the past, because the study is conducted when the government hasn't reported any case of Covid-19 for months now.