Covid-19: “A washed surgical mask remains more efficient than a fabric mask”, according to a study – franceinfo

“A washed surgical mask remains more efficient than a mask” fabric, affirmed Monday, October 18 on franceinfo Philippe Cinquin, scientific coordinator of the Clinical Investigation Center of the CHU of Grenoble and co-author of a study on the subject published in the journal Chemosphere on October 11. He worked with a team of French researchers for a year and a half, with laboratory tests.

“Surgical masks, when machine washed up to ten times, retain their compatibility with the standard that applies to them, especially in terms of performance, filtration, breathability and also cleanliness.”, argued the scientist. This standard is for 98% filtration of particles between 650 nanometers and 7 microns. According to him, fabric masks only achieve 90% filtration for a single diameter of 3 microns.

Based on this laboratory demonstration, Philippe Cinquin judged that“it is up to the competent authorities, in particular the High Council of Public Health, to recommend the washing of surgical masks”. He said wait “a regulatory solution” to consider surgical masks, “which are not allowed to be reused”, such as fabric masks “conforming to the Afnor specification”.

Philippe Cinquin also sees this opportunity “an ecological issue” because “the proportion of plastics corresponding to these surgical masks represents 1% of all plastic in France”. It also underlines the economic stake for families, surgical masks being “generally significantly less expensive than so-called fabric masks. If they can be reused up to ten times, we see that the budget can be affected.”