A technical review of face mask wearing in preventing respiratory COVID-19 transmission

Mingrui Liao; Huayang Liu; Xi Wang; Xuzhi Hu; Yuhao Huang; Xuqing Liu; Keith Brenan; Jared Mecha; Mahesh  Nirmalan; Jian Ren Lu

doi:10.1016/j.cocis.2021.101417

A technical review of face mask wearing in preventing respiratory COVID-19 transmission

Mingrui Liao, Huayang Liu, Xi Wang, Xuzhi Hu, Yuhao Huang, Xuqing Liu, Keith Brenan, Jared Mecha, Mahesh Nirmalan, Jian Ren Lu

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries have recommended their citizens to adopt social distance, hand hygiene, and face mask wearing. However, wearing face masks has not been well adopted by many citizens. While the reasons are complex, there is a general perception that the evidence to support face mask wearing is lacking, especially for the general public in a community setting. Face mask wearing can block or filter airborne virus-carrying particles through the working of colloid and interface science. This paper assesses current knowledge behind the design and functioning of face masks by reviewing the selection of materials, mask specifications, relevant laboratory tests, and respiratory virus transmission trials, with an overview of future development of reusable masks for the general public. This review highlights the effectiveness of face mask wearing in the prevention of COVID-19 infection.

Original language	English
Article number	101417
Pages (from-to)	1-19
Number of pages	19
Journal	Current Opinion in Colloid and Interface Science
Volume	52
Early online date	29 Jan 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cocis.2021.101417
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2021

Keywords

aerosols
airborne colloids
fabric
face masks
fibers
filtering
porous materials
viral particles

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.cocis.2021.101417

Cite this

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title = "A technical review of face mask wearing in preventing respiratory COVID-19 transmission",

abstract = "Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries have recommended their citizens to adopt social distance, hand hygiene, and face mask wearing. However, wearing face masks has not been well adopted by many citizens. While the reasons are complex, there is a general perception that the evidence to support face mask wearing is lacking, especially for the general public in a community setting. Face mask wearing can block or filter airborne virus-carrying particles through the working of colloid and interface science. This paper assesses current knowledge behind the design and functioning of face masks by reviewing the selection of materials, mask specifications, relevant laboratory tests, and respiratory virus transmission trials, with an overview of future development of reusable masks for the general public. This review highlights the effectiveness of face mask wearing in the prevention of COVID-19 infection.",

keywords = "aerosols, airborne colloids, fabric, face masks, fibers, filtering, porous materials, viral particles",

author = "Mingrui Liao and Huayang Liu and Xi Wang and Xuzhi Hu and Yuhao Huang and Xuqing Liu and Keith Brenan and Jared Mecha and Mahesh Nirmalan and Lu, {Jian Ren}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the University of Manchester for a COVID-19 GCRF research fund entitled Assessing the Effectiveness of Bespoke Locally Sourced Face Masks in Reducing COVID-19 Transmission within Informal Settlements in Kenya (P122809 Task Code KC96), overseas research studentships from the University of Manchester to M.L. H.L. and X.H. studentship from China Scholarship Council to M.L. research grants from Lonza to H.L and from Syngenta to X.H. This work also benefited from grant support from a Marie Curie Fellowship ITN grant (grant number 608184) under SNAL (small nano-objects for alteration of lipid bilayers) and a BBSRC LINK grant with AstraZeneca (BB/S018492/1). Funding Information: We thank the University of Manchester for a COVID-19 GCRF research fund entitled Assessing the Effectiveness of Bespoke Locally Sourced Face Masks in Reducing COVID-19 Transmission within Informal Settlements in Kenya (P122809 Task Code KC96), overseas research studentships from the University of Manchester to M.L., H.L. and X.H., studentship from China Scholarship Council to M.L., research grants from Lonza to H.L and from Syngenta to X.H. This work also benefited from grant support from a Marie Curie Fellowship ITN grant (grant number 608184 ) under SNAL (small nano-objects for alteration of lipid bilayers) and a BBSRC LINK grant with AstraZeneca ( BB/S018492/1 ). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier Ltd",

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AU - Brenan, Keith

AU - Mecha, Jared

AU - Nirmalan, Mahesh

AU - Lu, Jian Ren

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the University of Manchester for a COVID-19 GCRF research fund entitled Assessing the Effectiveness of Bespoke Locally Sourced Face Masks in Reducing COVID-19 Transmission within Informal Settlements in Kenya (P122809 Task Code KC96), overseas research studentships from the University of Manchester to M.L. H.L. and X.H. studentship from China Scholarship Council to M.L. research grants from Lonza to H.L and from Syngenta to X.H. This work also benefited from grant support from a Marie Curie Fellowship ITN grant (grant number 608184) under SNAL (small nano-objects for alteration of lipid bilayers) and a BBSRC LINK grant with AstraZeneca (BB/S018492/1). Funding Information: We thank the University of Manchester for a COVID-19 GCRF research fund entitled Assessing the Effectiveness of Bespoke Locally Sourced Face Masks in Reducing COVID-19 Transmission within Informal Settlements in Kenya (P122809 Task Code KC96), overseas research studentships from the University of Manchester to M.L., H.L. and X.H., studentship from China Scholarship Council to M.L., research grants from Lonza to H.L and from Syngenta to X.H. This work also benefited from grant support from a Marie Curie Fellowship ITN grant (grant number 608184 ) under SNAL (small nano-objects for alteration of lipid bilayers) and a BBSRC LINK grant with AstraZeneca ( BB/S018492/1 ). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

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AB - Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries have recommended their citizens to adopt social distance, hand hygiene, and face mask wearing. However, wearing face masks has not been well adopted by many citizens. While the reasons are complex, there is a general perception that the evidence to support face mask wearing is lacking, especially for the general public in a community setting. Face mask wearing can block or filter airborne virus-carrying particles through the working of colloid and interface science. This paper assesses current knowledge behind the design and functioning of face masks by reviewing the selection of materials, mask specifications, relevant laboratory tests, and respiratory virus transmission trials, with an overview of future development of reusable masks for the general public. This review highlights the effectiveness of face mask wearing in the prevention of COVID-19 infection.

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KW - fibers

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A technical review of face mask wearing in preventing respiratory COVID-19 transmission

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Structural changes of interfacially adsorbed antibody molecules

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A technical review of face mask wearing in preventing respiratory COVID-19 transmission

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

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Structural changes of interfacially adsorbed antibody molecules

Cite this