July 19, 2022
Bacterial and Fungal Isolation From Face Masks Under the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has led people to wear face masks daily in public … there have been few reports on potential hygiene issues due to bacteria and fungi attached to the face masks.
We aimed to (1) quantify and identify the bacteria and fungi attaching to the masks, and (2) investigate whether the mask-attached microbes could be associated with the types and usage of the masks and individual lifestyles.
We surveyed 109 volunteers on their mask usage and lifestyles, and cultured bacteria and fungi from either the face-side or outer-side of their masks.
The bacterial colony numbers were greater on the face-side than the outer-side; the fungal colony numbers were fewer on the face-side than the outer-side.
A longer mask usage significantly increased the fungal colony numbers … we found several pathogenic microbes; Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Aspergillus, and Microsporum.”
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