Face masks offer little protection from bird flu

May 7 2007

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the mass wearing of surgical face masks would do little to reduce the rate of infection in the event of an influenza pandemic.

The CDC says to date little research exists which demonstrates the effectiveness of face masks during an influenza pandemic and it is quite possible that they are useless in stopping infection from occurring, but may make people feel more comfortable in crowds.

Surgical face masks fit across the nose and mouth, catching the respiratory secretions of the user but as to their use in stopping the spread of a virus, that remains debatable.

CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding says if people are not able to avoid crowded places, or are caring for people who are ill, using a facemask or a respirator correctly and consistently could offer some protection.

More importantly says the CDC people should avoid crowded areas, and avoid contact with those who are sick.

Health experts have been warning about the inevitability of a flu pandemic and the main suspect at present is of course the H5N1 avian flu virus currently doing the rounds.

The virus has to date killed at least 172 of the 291 people with a confirmed infection and has been responsible in one way or another for the deaths of millions of birds and poultry.

In its current form it is difficult to catch and almost all human infections have been the result of direct contact with infected birds.

But experts fear the virus will ultimately mutate into a form which passes easily between humans presenting the possibility of a worldwide pandemic with the potential to kill millions.

As an effective vaccine could take months to manufacture some experts have been considering whether masks might help people protect themselves and whether they should be stockpiled but others are wary and say face masks might give people a false sense of security.

The CDC and World Health Organisation suggest other measures such as hand washing, staying away from other people and discouraging crowds.

Dr. Michael Bell, an infection control expert at CDC says face masks are not designed to protect people from breathing in very small particles, such as viruses but help stop potentially infectious droplets from being spread by the person wearing them; they also keep splashes or sprays from coughs and sneezes from reaching the mouth and nose of the person wearing the face mask.