Facemasks and Swine Flu Prevention

In many Asian countries, it is considered a sign of respect and responsibility for someone who is sick to wear a surgical facemask while in public as an attempt to avoid infecting others with the illness.

As the United States enters the 2009 flu season and prepares for a potential swine flu outbreak, many people might be wondering if surgical facemasks are an effective means to prevent infecting others with the swine flu virus - or novel H1N1, or if they keep you from catching the virus from those who are infected.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has looked at the effectiveness of surgical masks in the prevention of a mass swine flu pandemic and has offered a few helpful facts.

Here are some suggestions from the CDC's Aug. 5, 2009, report:

• There is very little scientific data on the role of surgical masks in preventing transmission of the H1N1 virus.
• Wearing a surgical facemask alone will likely have little impact on whether a person will catch or transmit the swine flu virus.
• Those in the medical industry are recommended to use facemasks and respirators. Those not in the medical industry likely have little cause to wear a mask.

The CDC recommends avoiding all gatherings in a community that is experiencing a swine flu outbreak, instead of relying on a disposable surgical facemask to filter out the swine flu virus.

Consider, however, that wearing a mask may discourage a person from touching the nose or mouth, both of which are risk factors for contracting and spreading swine flu. 

To view more examples of our work, visit the Sample Content section of our website. And to learn more about slowing the spread of a swine flu in the community, read our sample article.