The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Face coverings ‘reduce spread’, say scientists
Research from Edinburgh University team shows masks lower risk through speaking
Wearing a face covering lowers the risk of spreading Covid-19 to others through speaking and coughing, new research suggests.
Speaking and coughing without face protection exposes people nearby to droplets carrying the virus that could otherwise be stopped by wearing a mask, according to the study.
Researchers found someone standing two metres from a coughing person with no mask is exposed to 10,000 times more droplets than someone half a metre from someone coughing and wearing a covering.
Lead researcher Dr Ignazio Maria Viola, of Edinburgh University’s School of Engineering, said: “We knew face masks of various materials are effective to a different extent in filtering small droplets.
“However, when we looked specifically at those larger droplets that are thought to be the most dangerous, we discovered that even the simplest handmade single-layer cotton mask is tremendously effective.
“Therefore, wearing a face mask can really make a difference.”
Scientists at the university compared the number of droplets that landed on a surface in front of a person coughing and speaking without and with a surgical mask or a basic cotton face covering.
Tests were carried out on people and a life-sized anatomical human model connected to a machine that simulates coughs and speech.
Analysis found that the number of droplets was more than 1,000 times lower when wearing even a single layer cotton mask, the researchers say.
They add that the findings, published on a non-peer reviewed preprint server, could have implications for social distancing measures.
Professor Paul Digard, of Edinburgh University’s Roslin Institute, said: “The simple message from our research is that face masks work.
“Wearing a face covering will reduce the probability that someone unknowingly infected with the virus will pass it on.”
According to the scientists, their results contrast with previous research that suggested masks are less effective.
However, these studies also measured small droplets – known as aerosols – which can remain airborne for hours.
How much virus transmission takes place by aerosol is still not known, but the team cautions that if it is significant, the new findings overestimate the protective effects of face coverings.
However, for bigger droplets carrying the largest amount of virus, masks are extremely effective in reducing spread to the immediate surroundings, researchers say.