May 29, 2020

Pretreated Household Materials Carry Similar Filtration Protection against Pathogens When Compared with Surgical Masks

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions

• Carnino et al. demonstrated that household paper towels pretreated with a salt-based solution for as little as 10 minutes may provide similar protection against viral-sized particles compared with a medical grade mask. This suggests pretreated inexpensive materials might be used to complement homemade, surgical, or N95 masks to increase their lifespan and effectiveness.  

Carnino et al. (May 25, 2020). Pretreated Household Materials Carry Similar Filtration Protection against Pathogens When Compared with Surgical Masks. American Journal of Infection Control. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2020.05.024