June 1, 2020

Surgical Mask Partition Reduces the Risk of Non-Contact Transmission in a Golden Syrian Hamster Model for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Transmission

• A hamster SARS-CoV-2 model experiment reported the effect of adding a partition that simulates a surgical mask on transmission between hamsters in separate cages with unidirectional airflow. In the absence of a mask partition, 67% (10 of 15) of exposed hamsters became infected. Adding the surgical mask partition reduced transmission to between 17 and 25%, depending on configuration. 

Chan et al. (May 30, 2020). Surgical Mask Partition Reduces the Risk of Non-Contact Transmission in a Golden Syrian Hamster Model for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Clinical Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa644