PFF2 type masks (equivalent to other international standards known as N95, KN95 and P2 masks) offer almost 100% protection against Covid-19, according to a study by the Max Planck Institute, in Germany.
If a person infected with the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes Covid-19, comes into contact with a healthy one in an enclosed space – even at a short distance and after 20 minutes – the risk of infection is only 0.1%. If the person is vaccinated, the risk of contracting the disease is even lower, the researchers point out.
However, according to scientists, reducing the risk depends on the mask being used correctly. For optimal protection, the metal clip should be snug against the nose, pressing it sideways.
If the mask is not correctly fitted to the face, the risk of infection in the same scenario rises to about 4%, says the study, published in the scientific journal PNAS, of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States.
The analysis also showed that PFF2 masks that fit tightly to the face protect 75 times more than surgical masks — which, however, reduce the risk of infection to as much as 10% if they are also well-fitted.
The researchers said their calculations are quite conservative. “In everyday life, the actual probability of infection is certainly ten to one hundred times lower,” says Eberhard Bodenschatz, the researcher who led the study.
Without mask, risk of contamination is high
On the other hand, the analysis of encounters between two people without a mask showed that, if a healthy individual stands for a few minutes in front of an infected person, even at a distance of 3 meters, there is a 90% probability of an infection occurring.
Despite the distance of 3 meters, the researchers emphasize that the risk is enormous when you come into contact with infected people with a high viral load, as in the case of the currently dominant delta variant of the coronavirus, for a few minutes and without a mask.
“Our results demonstrate once again that the use of masks in schools and also in general is a good idea”, concludes Bodenschatz.
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