Various ways have been done to break the chain of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission. In Indonesia, the government has used various methods, ranging from the implementation of social distancing to conducting rapid tests. Not only that, along with the increasing number of patients, the government also imposed PSBB (Large-scale Social Restrictions) in several regions in Indonesia, including Jakarta.

During the PSBB period, people are asked to remain at home and not to go outside. However, for those who still have to go, there are several rules that must be obeyed, one of which is having to wear a mask. At present, there are many types of masks that you can find on the market. Starting from surgical masks, N95 masks, to masks made from various types of fabric.

In accordance with the recommendations issued by WHO, people can use cloth masks as an alternative because surgical masks and N95 masks are prioritised for medical personnel. Cloth masks are known to have the same effectiveness as the other two types of masks in reducing the risk of coronavirus infection. In addition, cloth masks can also be used many times, so you can save even more. However, does the mask still has the same effectiveness after being washed many times?

According to the results of a study published in the Journal of the International Society for Respiratory Protection recently, despite being disinfected (heated to 70°C), cloth masks still have a filtering efficiency of up to 55%. These results are even higher than those of surgical masks or N95 masks that have been disinfected ten times with a filtering efficiency of only 40%. Therefore, there's no need to worry if you can't find a surgical mask on the market. Switch to cloth masks that can also help reduce the risk of Coronavirus infection.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay

Source(s):

• Yan, R., Chillrus, S., Magadini, D.L., and Yan, B., (2020). Developing home-disinfection and filtration efficiency improvement methods for N95 respirators and surgical facial masks: stretching supplies and better protection during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of the International Society for Respiratory Protection, Vol 37 (1): 19-35.
• Medical News Today - Protective masks can be effectively disinfected at home, study finds (2020). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/protective-masks-can-be-effectively-disinfected-at-home-study-finds, 27 April 2020.