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Can DIY masks filter out viruses and coronavirus

DIY masks to protect against from viruses sounds like a crazy idea. Data shows masks work incredibly well, and they’re also really cheap. Surgical masks cost a few pennies, and they’re capable of filtering out 80% of particles down to 0.007 microns (14 times smaller than the coronavirus).

However, the coronavirus outbreak brought with it a new problem: masks are sold out.

N95 air pollution masks sold out due to coronavirus

People have scrambled to make their own masks, but can homemade masks really protect you from the coronavirus?

One Users' DIY air pollution anti-virus mask

One Person’s DIY ‘anti-virus’ mask

Can DIY Masks Capture Viruses?

Scientists from the University of Cambridge asked this exact question in the aftermath of the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic. They thought that in a global pandemic scenario, we might run out of N95 masks. Their predictions have come true during the coronavirus outbreak.

Efficacy of Homemade Masks Viruses Pandemic

The researchers asked volunteers to make their own masks using cotton t-shirts and a sewing machine, using a simple protocol they’d devised. Then the researchers shot tiny 1-micron size bacteria (called “Bacillus atrophaeus”) at the masks and measured what percentage the homemade masks could capture. These particles are roughly the size of the particles behind the plague and anthrax.

The DIY masks captured fewer particles than the surgical mask, but they still managed to capture 69% of 1-micron particles.

But is that the smallest particle homemade masks can capture? The researchers stepped it up a notch by shooting .02-micron “Bacteriophage MS2” particles at the masks. These are even smaller than coronavirus particles.

DIY Cloth Mask Virus Capture Surgical Mask

Again, the surgical mask captured more particles, but the homemade cloth mask captured 51% of these nanoparticles.

OK, But They’re Leaky, Right?

At this point, smart skeptical readers are probably thinking, “sure, cloth can capture particles, but they probably don’t seal around the face, so they’re ineffective.”

Fortunately the researchers fit-tested the DIY masks too. In fit-tests, scientists measure the number of particles inside the mask versus outside the mask while someone is actually wearing the mask.

Mask Fit Test Procedure

The fit-test machine measures particles from .02 to 1 microns, which includes the size of the coronavirus.

DIY Mask Fit Test Effectiveness Virus

Across 21 volunteers, the homemade cotton masks captured 50% of 0.02-1 micron particles, compared with 80% for the surgical mask. Thus, DIY masks still managed to capture particles while people were actually wearing them. Based on this data, the researchers concluded that homemade masks would be better than nothing.

DIY homemade masks should only be used as a last resort for capturing viruses

Coronavirus & Mask Livestream

Wondering whether masks work to protect you against the coronavirus? Check out our livestream recap covering all the info here!

Is that the only test on DIY masks?

The Cambridge data shows that homemade masks made using cotton t-shirts can filter out some particles that are 0.02–1 microns in size. That’s pretty good, but what about other materials? A group of researchers in the Netherlands tested homemade masks made from dish cloth (called “tea cloth” in the UK).

DIY homemade mask made out of tea cloth

They also used a fit-test machine to test the masks while people were actually wearing them.

Homemade DIY tea cloth mask tests testing how long you can use them for

The dish cloth mask captured 60% of the .02 – 1 micron particles. Not surprisingly, the surgical mask and N95 mask captured more particles, but the data shows homemade mask was far from useless at capturing virus-sized particles.

DIY Mask Cloth Effectiveness Particle Capture

How Long Can You Wear DIY Masks for?

Next, they tested the DIY masks’ effectiveness after people had worn them for 3 hours. Do masks become less effective after getting all wet and humid?

The results showed that moisture and time had very little impact on effectiveness for any of the masks. In fact, the homemade masks actually captured 5.8% more virus-sized particles after 3 hours. Thus, wearing them for several hours seems to have little impact on their effectiveness.

Do Homemade Masks Work for Children?

Next, they tested homemade masks with 11 children 5 to 11 years old. When kids wore the homemade masks, they removed just 52% of the 0.02 – 1 micron particles. That means the masks were roughly 15% less effective on kids than on adults.

Homemade DIY Mask Effectiveness Children

Interestingly, the surgical masks and FFP2 (N95) masks also did worse on children. This fits with a Smart Air test of children’s masks in India that found lower effectiveness on children than adults. The data suggests that it is harder to fit masks on children’s faces.

Children's Mask Fit Test

Close Contact With an Infected Person

Comments (1)

  1. NasaTheme

    The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters. On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment, so blinded by desire.

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