The results of the study were published in the journal Building and Environment.
Using the mask indoors can reduce the area of airborne particle contamination by about 67 percent.
“Masks and good ventilation are critical to curbing the spread of infectious COVID-19 strains, especially during the flu season and winter months, as more and more people socialize indoors.” Saad Akhtar, under the supervision of former doctoral student Professor Agus Sasmito at McGill University.
Although most public health guidelines recommend a physical distance of two meters for people coming from different households, the researchers say that distance alone is not enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In this study, researchers found that when people are exposed, more than 70 percent of the particles in the air exceed the two-meter threshold in 30 seconds. In contrast, less than 1 percent of particles exceed the two-meter limit if masks are used.
A team from McGill University, Universite de Sherbrooke, A&M University of Texas, and the University of Northern Illinois developed a computer program that accurately simulates the dynamics of cough indoors.
Although ventilation, person position, and mask use had a significant effect on the spread of biological contaminants, the effect of age and gender was small, the researchers found.
Cough is one of the main sources of the spread of air viruses in people with symptoms.
“This research contributes to an understanding of how infectious particles can spread from source to their environment and can help policymakers and governments make informed decisions about mask and distance guidelines,” Akhtar noted.
Source: ANI