Masks at home may prevent COVID-19 spread among family members

▴ family-members-wearing-masks-could-prevent-coronavirus-spread
Masks are 79% effective at curbing transmission but only before symptoms emerge

Wearing face masks at home might help ward off the spread of COVID-19 infection among family members living in the same household, but only before symptoms develop, suggests a study of Chinese families in Beijing, accepted for publication in BMJ Global Health.

This practice was 79% effective at curbing transmission before symptoms emerged in the first person infected, but it wasn’t protective once symptoms had developed, the study shows.

The figures in China suggest that most of the person to person transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 infection, has occurred in families. But it’s not clear if the wearing of face masks might help curb household transmission rates, along with social distancing and disinfection.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Public Health England haven’t endorsed the wearing of face masks indoors or outdoors, on the grounds that there’s little good quality evidence to warrant recommending this.

To explore whether face masks might make a difference, the researchers questioned 460 people from 124 families in Beijing, China, on their household hygiene and behaviours during the pandemic.Each family had at least one laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19 infection between late February and late March 2020. Average family size was 4, but ranged from 2 to 9, and usually comprised three generations.

Family members were defined as those who had lived with the infected person for 4 days before and more than 24 hours after that person’s symptoms first appeared.

The researchers wanted to know what factors might heighten or lessen the risk of subsequently catching the virus within the incubation period--14 days from the start of that person’s symptoms.

During this time, secondary transmission--spread from the first infected person to other family members--occurred in 41 out of the 124 families. A total of 77 adults and children were infected in this way, giving an ‘attack rate’ of 23% or around 1 in 4.

Around a third of the study children caught the virus (36%; 13 out of 36) compared with more than two thirds of the adults (just over 69.5%; 64 out of 92).

Twelve of the children had mild symptoms; one had none. Most (83%) of the adults had mild symptoms; in around 1 in 10, symptoms were severe, and one person became critically ill.

Daily use of disinfectants, window opening, and keeping at least 1 metre apart were associated with a lower risk of passing on the virus, even in more crowded households.

But daily contact and the number of family members wearing a face mask after the start of symptoms in the first person to develop them were associated with a heightened risk.

Of all the behavioural and hygiene factors, four were significantly associated with secondary transmission of the virus.

Diarrhoea in the first person to become infected and close daily contact with them increased the risk of passing on the virus: diarrhoea was associated with a quadrupling in risk, while close daily contact, such as eating meals round a table or watching TV together, was associated with an 18-fold increased risk.

Frequent use of bleach or disinfectants for household cleaning and the wearing of a face mask at home before symptoms emerged, including by the first person to have them, were associated with a reduced risk of viral transmission.

A face mask worn before symptoms started was 79% effective, and disinfection 77% effective, at stopping the virus from being passed on.

The authors acknowledge some limitations to their study: telephone interviews are subject to recall and the strength of household disinfectants and bleach used wasn’t recorded.

Nevertheless, they suggest the findings back universal face mask use, not just in public spaces, but also at home. And the findings may also be relevant for families living with someone in quarantine or in enforced social isolation, and for the families of health workers who may face an ongoing risk of infection, they say.

“This study confirms the highest risk of household transmission being prior to symptom onset, but that precautionary [non-pharmaceutical interventions], such as mask use, disinfection and social distancing in households can prevent COVID-19 transmission during the pandemic,” independent of household size or crowding, they write.

“Household transmission is a major driver of epidemic growth,” they point out, adding that their findings could be used to “inform precautionary guidelines for families to reduce intrafamilial transmission in areas where there is high community transmission or other risk factors for COVID-19.”

Tags : #Masks #MasksatHome #Covid19 #BMJstudy #FightCorona

About the Author


Team Medicircle

Related Stories

Loading Please wait...

-Advertisements-




Trending Now

The Dark Side of Beauty: Kidney Damage from Hair Straightening TreatmentsMarch 29, 2024
Avance Clinical at World Vaccine Congress to Share Latest Vaccine Clinical Trial News Including an HIV-1 StudyMarch 29, 2024
Sexual wellness superstore, Love Depot launches digital campaign to deliver every desireMarch 28, 2024
Recharge Your Life: Simple Ways to Boost Your Physical and Mental EnergyMarch 28, 2024
The Neurological Toll of Common Household Chemicals: Insights from Recent ResearchMarch 28, 2024
The Aging Puzzle: Decoding the Mechanisms of AgingMarch 28, 2024
The Double-Edged Sword of Kala-azar Treatment: Shedding Light on Eye ComplicationsMarch 28, 2024
FTCCI Launches Industry-Academia Connect to improve the employability of Engineering Graduates and address the growing demand for Talent in Emerging TechMarch 27, 2024
NTT and Olympus Begin World's First Joint Demonstration Experiment of Cloud Endoscopy SystemMarch 27, 2024
NTT and Olympus Begin World's First Joint Demonstration Experiment of Cloud Endoscopy SystemMarch 27, 2024
2nd Edition of IIFL JITO Ahimsa Run for peace & for non-violence to be held on 31st MarchMarch 27, 2024
Brij Hotels Announced 4 Million in Series A Funding March 27, 2024
Combatting Childhood Sedentariness: The Key to Preventing Premature Vascular DamageMarch 27, 2024
Crucial Findings: Unlocking Paths to Combat Ebola's DevastationMarch 27, 2024
Guarding Against Disease: The Crucial Role of Oral Hygiene in Preventive HealthcareMarch 27, 2024
Sanofi & Cipla announce exclusive distribution partnership to expand reach of CNS portfolio in IndiaMarch 26, 2024
Surmandal's Tribute to the Legends of Hindustani Classical MusicMarch 26, 2024
In Moscow, over 350,000 mammograms have been analyzed using artificial intelligence as part of the compulsory health insurance programMarch 26, 2024
Embark on a Creative Journey: "Kala For A Cause" Unveils Pottery Workshop Series March 26, 2024
Healthtech pioneer Aurora Innovation appoints new CEO – expands in Europe with service that streamlines patient-healthcare interactionMarch 26, 2024