In a report released yesterday, a panel of experts said that surgical masks aren't adequate to protect people from becoming infected during an influenza pandemic,
The report, written for the Public Health Agency of Canada, suggested industrial respirators known as N95s, would be needed to minimize the risk of transmission of flu.
"Surgical masks don't really fit the bill," said Dr. Donald Low, chair of the panel which brought together infection control specialists, nurses and occupational health and safety experts.
"Even if they have a good filtering capacity, inhalable virus particles will take the route of least resistance, which will be around the mask and through the gap that exists between the surgical mask and the face, just because they're not affected by gravity"
The panel was asked to advise the public health agency on one of the most contentious issues in influenza science - how flu spreads.
The answer will be used to craft guidance for provinces and territories on what protective equipment they should consider stockpiling for health care workers in a pandemic as well as advice for the public on how to reduce the risk of getting sick in such an event.
Read the rest of the article from the Canadian Press here
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