Can transmission of a communicable disease, such as mumps, be prevented if a non-immunized, asymptomatic child wears a surgical mask at school?
The Department of Public Health advises that surgical masks are not a practical or effective way to prevent the spread of diseases from the respiratory route on an “8 hours per day, 5 days per week” (often for several days or weeks) basis. Any time a person removes the mask to eat, drink, cough, wipe or blow their nose, s/he is infectious or potentially infectious. In addition, because some of these diseases are spread by direct contact, any time a potentially infectious person touches his or her respiratory secretions and inanimate objects, the person could contaminate those objects, making them potential sources for transmission. Other factors that make surgical masks ineffective in these situations are the average person’s lack of training in sterile technique as well as the age of some potentially infectious individuals.
Related Questions
- Can transmission of a communicable disease, such as mumps, be prevented if a non-immunized, asymptomatic child wears a surgical mask at school?
- Would it be better to vaccinate my child with separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines rather than the MMR vaccine?
- What can pregnant women do to avoid the possibility of trans-placental (mother to unborn child) transmission of WNV?
