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Wash and wear
Cloth masks only work if machine washed , UNSW researchers say .
By Conor Burke
Cloth masks must be washed
at high temperatures after use in order to provide protection against the transmission of COVID-19 , say researchers at UNSW .
The research – an analysis of unpublished data from a randomised controlled trial the researchers published in 2015 – found that handwashing cloth masks did not provide adequate protection and that healthcare workers who did so had double the risk of infection .
“ Both cloth masks and surgical masks should be considered ‘ contaminated ’ after use ,” said Professor Raina MacIntyre , who conducted the study . “ Unlike surgical masks , which are disposed of after use , cloth masks are re-used . While it can be tempting to use the same mask for multiple days in a row , or to give it a quick hand-wash or wipe-over , our research suggests that this increases the risk of contamination .”
As the study was conducted five years ago , testing mask effectiveness against
SARS-Cov-2 was not possible , but researchers tested common respiratory pathogens such as influenza , rhinoviruses and seasonal coronaviruses in their analysis .
“ Given the potential implications for health workers or community members who are using cloth masks during the pandemic , we did a deep dive into the 2011 data on whether the health workers in our study washed their masks daily , and if so , how they washed their masks . We found that if cloth masks were washed in the hospital laundry , they were as effective as a surgical mask ,” said MacIntyre .
“ While someone from the general public wearing a cloth mask is unlikely to come into contact with the same amount of pathogens as a healthcare worker in a high-risk ward , we would still recommend daily washing of cloth masks in the community .
“ COVID-19 is a highly infectious virus , and there is still a lot that we don ’ t know about it , so it ’ s important that we take every precaution we can to protect against it and ensure masks are effective .”
MASK MALAISE Mask use across NSW has dropped , according to the government , and there are fears that complacency is starting to set in .
Wendy Waller , mayor of Liverpool , where there have been several cases in recent months , is worried that her constituents are tired of COVID-19 restrictions and this has led to the decline .
“ Yesterday when I did my shopping locally I was the only one wearing a mask , yet a month ago everybody was wearing a mask ,” Waller told her local paper Today , as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald .
“ So I think we have to be careful , even though it ’ s frustrating ... this is a very contagious disease and we have to continue to be preventative in what we ’ re doing .”
There have been renewed calls in the state for mandatory mask wearing on public transport as cases creep back up and testing numbers remain low .
Monitoring of the mask levels at Sydney public transport hubs suggests that mask use is only at 30 per cent . Public transport minister Andrew Constance has warned that NSW could head for a Melbournestyle lockdown if people insist on ignoring public health advice .
“ We ask everybody using public transport to wear a mask , in addition to practising good personal hygiene , physical distancing and not travelling if you ’ re feeling unwell .”
Professor MacIntyre , writing in the SMH , implored the government to consider making masks mandatory if the relaxation of any distancing measures in public indoor venues goes ahead .
“ SARS-COV-2 is spread by respiratory aerosols , mostly in close contact , but in indoor venues these aerosols can accumulate over time ,” she wrote .
COVID MAY LAST ON SURFACES LONGER THAN FIRST THOUGHT
New CSIRO research has found that Sars- CoV-2 can survive up to 28 days on mobile phones and ATM screens .
The research also found that the virus survived longer on smooth surfaces than rough and lasted longer on paper banknotes than plastic . Temperature was also found to affect the virus , with the virus lasting for 28 days at 20 degrees , while the survival times decreased at higher temperatures .
The same experiments conducted with influenza A found that it survived on surfaces for 17 days . ■
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