"The results suggest that the consistent use of efficient face masks, such as surgical masks, could lead to the eradication of the pandemic if at least 70% of the residents use such masks in public consistently," wrote Sanjay Kumar, an investigator with the Department of Engineering at the National University of Singapore. "Even less efficient cloth masks could also slow the spread if worn consistently."
The article, published in the Institute's Physics of Fluids journal, reviewed a series of studies exploring a face mask’s ability to protect people against the virus that causes Covid-19, and how the design of specific face masks affect the way this works.
"The research suggested the face coverings could essentially reduce the forward distance traveled by a virus-laden droplet and thus has a great potential to provide personal protection against airborne infection," the article says.
Investigators found that face masks made of hybrid polymer materials are effective at filtering particles while simultaneously cooling the face.
"There could be some relation between breathing resistance and the flow resistance of the face mask which will need to be studied for a face mask-wearing interval," co-author Heow Pueh Lee said in an accompanying news release.
"Also, the environmental condition in the compartmental space within the face mask will need to be more accurately quantified using miniaturized sensors and the development of human replicas for such studies," Lee added.
The studies reviewed for the article reveal that the longer a mask is worn, the more effective it will be. The researchers also examined the importance of thermal comfort and how humid temperatures affect the compliance of the use of the face mask.
"There were reported incidence of skin rashes, increased heat stress, sweating, and discomfort due to prolonged wearing of a facemask in hot and humid conditions," the article said.
"Polymer-based nanofibers with large surface area-to-volume ratio have shown great potential for use in facemasks to achieve both high filtration efficiency and sufficient air permeability."