(Taiwan English News/Comprehensive Report by the Medical Group) The main route of transmission of COVID-19 is through close-range droplets or long-term contact with patients, but recent studies have pointed out that the degradation of masks will produce plastic particles suspended in the air, which are considered to be likely to spread the new crown In this regard, domestic public health scholars pointed out that there is still no direct evidence to prove it, and appealed to the public not to over-interpret or worry.
The foreign literature review report mentioned that plastic particles (microplastics) and nanoplastics (nanoplastics) will increase the survival time and transmission of COVID-19 in the air. In addition, according to the research report of “Environmental Pollution” , Plastic particles suspended in the air can detect the RNA of COVID-19, so it is inferred that plastic particles may be generated from improper disposal of medical waste.
Zhuang Kairen, a professor of public health at the Department of Medicine, Taipei Medical University College of Medicine, said that there is currently no research that can explain or confirm that the plastic particles degraded by masks can be used as a transmission route for viruses. Because it takes a long time and environmental pressure for a mask to degrade into plastic particles suspended in the air, it does not mean that “if there is a virus on the mask, it will quickly degrade into plastic particles with the virus, and then spread and infect.”
Zhuang Kairen mentioned that in comparison, there are many transmission routes that have greater transmission risks, such as: droplets, direct or indirect contact, whether you will be infected with COVID-19, mainly depends on the virus in the current environment. concentration or quantity.
He explained that there is a possibility that masks can be degraded into plastic particles, but how long it will take and under what conditions the environmental pressure will require more research to verify, not just one or two studies or a review of the literature. It is interpreted as “the plastic particles produced by masks have the potential to carry viruses, prolong the survival time of viruses, or increase transmission.” Just like starting a research project, it is necessary to cite more than dozens of research documents in order to establish a reasonable The basis of the research argument.
In daily life, people don’t need to worry about being infected with virus-laden plastic particles from masks. Because on the whole, these two studies only verified one thing: the staff who deal with medical waste, including those in any link of cleaning and incineration, should be well dressed and meet the requirements of COVID-19 infection care. Protective equipment, because in the process of processing medical waste, you may also be in a high-density virus environment, and this is an environment that ordinary people will not face, so there is no need to worry too much.
Zhuang Kairen reminded the public that as long as they practice good personal hygiene habits, such as not touching their mouth and nose after touching things outside, washing their hands before eating at home, etc., the risk of infection can be greatly avoided. If the public is still very worried, they can collect the used masks at the door after returning home, wrap them up and discard them.
Zhuang Kairen explained that according to our early research and investigation, the air may be full of particles of the new coronavirus at any time, but we will not be infected because of the small amount of virus in the air, because these virus particles are small in number and low in concentration, It has almost lost its pathogenicity.
Zhuang Kairen mentioned that many studies have only monitored the presence of COVID-19 RNA in the environment or in the air, but this does not mean that the virus is still alive or infectious, because dead virus fragments (dead virus fragments) that are inactive or dead can detected RNA[1][2], and they no longer have the ability to infect. He believes that this type of research investigation will eventually come to similar conclusions.
※Source: Taiwan Technology Media Center※
Can the new crown virus spread through the plastic particles of the mask?Taiwanese scholar: It can be wrapped and discarded