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Published September 18, 2020 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Can Facial Masking Slow Down the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 by a Variolation-like Effect?

  • 1. Department of Medical Microbiology, Gulhane Medical Faculty, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey

Description

Abstract

Numerous studies have been published providing evidence that the universal use of masks reduces the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections indoors, in hospitals, and public places. Studies in experimental animal models for SARS-CoV-2 infections have shown that more severe lung abnormalities develop in animals infected with high doses of the virus. From this point of view, even if the use of a mask does not absolutely protect from infection transmission, it can contribute to the mild course of possible infections through low viral load exposure. However, in some published studies, it was revealed that antibodies against the virus decreased more rapidly in people who had the infection asymptomatically. In addition, cases of re-infection with different variants of the virus as soon as several months after recovery from the first infection have recently been reported. Considering that coronaviruses generally cause infections with low protective immunity, until a protective vaccine is developed, continuing to use masks seems to be an effective measure that can reduce social spreading of the infection and give protection from serious infections at the individual level, especially in indoor and crowded environments where the transmission risk is high, including for people recovering from infection. As a result, even if the mask does not retain 100% of viruses, it reduces the risk of severe infection because it reduces the viral load to a large degree. In fact, the expected effect of the eagerly anticipated vaccine is nothing more than this.

Özet

Universal maske kullanımının kapalı alanlarda, hastanelerde ve halka açık alanlarda SARS-CoV-2 enfeksiyonlarının yayılımını azalttığına dair kanıtlar içeren çok sayıda araştırma yayımlanmıştır. SARS-CoV-2 enfeksiyonları için deneysel hayvan modellerinde yapılan çalışmalarda ise yüksek doz virüsle enfekte edilen hayvanlarda daha ciddi akciğer anormalliklerinin geliştiği gösterildi. Bu noktadan maske kullanımı enfeksiyon bulaşını mutlak bir şekilde korumasa bile, düşük viral yük maruziyeti ile olası enfeksiyonların hafif geçirilmesine katkıda bulunabilir. Bununla beraber yayımlanan bazı çalışmalarda enfeksiyonu asemptomatik olarak geçiren kişilerde virüse karşı oluşan antikorların daha hızlı düşüş gösterdiği ortaya kondu. Ayrıca, yakın zamanda ilk enfeksiyondan iyileştikten birkaç ay gibi kısa bir süre sonra virüsün farklı varyantları ile enfeksiyona ikinci kez yakalanan olgular bildirildi. Koronavirusların genel olarak düşük koruyucu bağışıklık bırakan enfeksiyonlara neden olduğu dikkate alındığında, koruyucu bir aşı geliştirilinceye kadar; enfeksiyonu geçiren ve iyileşen kişiler de dahil olmak üzere, bulaş riskinin yüksek olduğu kapalı ve kalabalık ortamlar başta olmak üzere, maske kullanımına devam etmek enfeksiyonun toplumsal yayılımını ve bireysel düzeyde de ciddi seyirli enfeksiyonlardan korunmayı sağlayabilecek etkili bir önlem gibi gözüküyor. Sonuç olarak, maske virüs geçişini %100 engellemese bile viral yükü çok azalttığı için ciddi enfeksiyon riskini azaltır. Heyecanla yolu gözlenen aşından beklenen etki de bundan başka bir şey değil aslında.

Notes

Maske Kullanımı Variyolasyon Benzeri Bir Etki ile SARS-CoV-2 Yayılımını Yavaşlatabilir mi?

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