Repeated coughing seriously degrades face mask efficiency: Study

Face masks slow the spread of viruses, including the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19, but their filtering efficiency is adversely affected by repeated coughing, say researchers.

“Masks decrease droplet accumulation during repeated cough cycles. However, it remains unclear whether large droplets or small ones are more infectious,” said study researcher Talib Dbouk from the University of Nicosia in Cyprus.

For the findings, published in the journal Physics of Fluids, the research team used precise computer models to map out the expected flow patterns of small droplets released when a mask-wearing person coughs repeatedly.

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