A preliminary study by the arXiv platform highlighted the importance of wearing a mask at school, even during this phase of the covid-19 pandemic in which the item is no longer mandatory in several territories. The article, conducted by researchers from FAPESP, sheds light on the reduction in the levels of disease transmission in schools that adhere to the equipment.
However, the project focuses on the difference between the use of masks considered to be of high quality, such as the N95 and the PFF2, something that can keep the levels of transmission of covid-19 in schools low, even in cities with low vaccination rates. . On the other hand, in cases where no one wears a mask, variants such as the omicron could infect up to 80% of students.
According to the article, compared to the scenario with schools closed (as happened during much of the pandemic, with students studying via distance learning), a context where students wear masks such as N95 or PFF2, the transmission of covid-19 is threefold. times bigger. On the other hand, the use of those considered to be of poor quality — such as cloth ones — implies a transmission five times greater.
Recommended vs not recommended masks
N95, PFF2 and FFP2 masks are those approved by a regulatory body in the United States, Brazil or Europe, respectively. All three types of masks were required to show a minimum particle filtration efficiency of 94%. To give you an idea, these personal protective equipment (PPE) can be recognized as both a respiratory protection mask and respirators for biological hazards.
Meanwhile, cloth or surgical masks may not provide the necessary protection against the variant, as experts have previously pointed out.
Wearing a mask in schools
To conduct this calculation on mask use in the classroom, the scientists used epidemiological data on covid-19 provided by the health and education departments and information from previous studies on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The authors simulated this transmission in small and large cities, and the results were similar in both scenarios.
The study also provides information that reducing the number of students per class does not prevent the virus from spreading, and warns rooms that use air conditioning, making air exchange very low. In addition to the use of masks in schools, measures such as isolation of students and education professionals exposed to the virus, vaccination of risk groups and monitoring of cases contribute to the reduction of new infections.
6 min Saúde