New Antibacterial Masks Prevent Secondary Infections—But Not Necessarily COVID

Key TakeawaysA new study suggests that antibacterial masks, made with carbon-based graphene, may be able to help reduce secondary bacterial infections that occur from touching contaminated masks.While the masks are effective at killing bacteria, there’s not enough research to say whether or not they’re effective for COVID-19.COVID-19 is a viral, not bacterial, infection, and secondary transmission of the virus is rare.

Key Takeaways

A new study suggests that antibacterial masks, made with carbon-based graphene, may be able to help reduce secondary bacterial infections that occur from touching contaminated masks.While the masks are effective at killing bacteria, there’s not enough research to say whether or not they’re effective for COVID-19.COVID-19 is a viral, not bacterial, infection, and secondary transmission of the virus is rare.

New research suggests that antibacterial face masks may potentially stop secondary transmission of bacterial infections. A secondary infection can occur when people touch contaminated surfaces like used or improperly-discarded masks.

In a study published on August 11 inACS Nano, researchers used a carbon-based substance, called graphene, to produce antibacterial masks that could kill bacteria with 80% to almost 100% efficiency.

The big question is whether or not these antibacterial masks can potentially help prevent or reduce the spread of COVID-19, which is a viral, not bacterial, infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that transmission of COVID-19 occurs more often through respiratory droplets than through contaminated objects and surfaces, such as masks.

“It’s not about whether or not the mask can kill the virus on the surface of the mask,” he says. “It’s more about whether the mask can prevent the virus from being inhaled.”

What This Means For You

How Antibacterial Masks Work

Antibacterial refers to anything that kills bacteria or prevents them from growing and multiplying. Heat, as well as certain medications and chemicals, all have antibacterial properties.

While regular surgical masks and cloth masks may create a physical barrier to bacteria, they are not considered antibacterial. Researchers from the study tested how long bacteria can survive on regular masks and found that 90% remained alive after 8 hours.

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The graphene worked in two different ways to kill bacteria, Ruquan says. The graphene could either dehydrate the bacteria, shrinking them until they could no longer survive, or the sharp edges of the graphene physically damaged the bacterial cell membranes, killing the bacteria as a result.

After eight hours, the research team tested the bacterial counts again and found that almost all of the E. coli on the surface of the graphene mask died, while over 90% of the bacteria on the regular masks was still alive.

“We conclude that activated carbon fiber and melt-blown fabrics are not antibacterial, while our graphene material is antibacterial and it is better than the commercial material,” Ruquan says.

These conclusions led researchers to speculate that antibacterial masks could be an effective way to reduce secondary transmission of infections, a concern surrounding improper use and irresponsible discarding of used and contaminated face masks.

What Is Secondary Transmission?

Ruquan says there’s no clear data on how common secondary transmission is from masks, but a possible real-life scenario might look like this: You go into a public bathroom, touch a contaminated door handle, pull down your regular face mask, use the toilet, pull up your face mask, and then wash your hands. In these few minutes, you’ve potentially contaminated your mask with E. colior salmonella, bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

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If you use that same mask within the next eight hours, there’s a good chance that around 90% of the bacteria are still on it, increasing your possibility of becoming infected through a secondary infection.

This also applies to improper disposal of contaminated face masks. If instead of reusing your mask, you accidentally dropped it on the floor on your way out of the bathroom and someone else to pick it up, the antibacterial qualities of the mask would help reduce their risk of becoming infected with bacteria.

Do Antibacterial Masks Prevent COVID-19?

There’s no definitive answer for whether this kind of mask could prevent COVID-19 infection, but the research team tested the material against two other strains of human coronaviruses. They found that 90% of the viruses were inactivated within five minutes of exposure to graphene, while almost 100% were gone after 10 minutes under direct sunlight. There are plans to test COVID-19 specifically at a later time.

But Altman says the mechanism of protection in these masks works only against bacteria and is irrelevant to viruses, since viruses are pockets of genetic material, not living cells.

An Overview of Airborne Viruses

“My biggest concern is that whether the mask is made out of graphene, spun polypropylene (N95s), or sticky glue,” Altman says. “The only property that matters in the protection against viruses is the porosity—or the mask’s ability to resist airflow that contains particles such as viruses.”

While secondary transmission of COVID-19 is possible, it’s rare. In order to become infected, you’d have to be exposed to a high level of viral load on a contaminated surface, like a used mask, and then touch your mouth, nose, or eyes. Because the virus doesn’t stay viable for very long outside of the body, this is unlikely.

Effectiveness is a big concern, but it’s not the only one.Samantha Radford, PhD, an exposure scientist who studies how chemicals in the environment affect human populations, says it’s possible that, over time, the mask could decompose and release graphene, causing other complications and health problems.

How to Reduce Risk of Secondary Transmission

It’s also important to safely discard used masks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends placing used masks in a plastic bag, putting them in the trash, and then washing your hands.If you’re wearing surgical masks, it’s also recommended to change your mask frequently and avoid reusing them. Cloth masks should be washed in between uses.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Huang L, Xu S, Wang Z et al.Self-reporting and photothermally enhanced rapid bacterial killing on a laser-induced graphene mask.ACS Nano. 2020;14(9):12045-12053. doi:10.1021/acsnano.0c05330Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cleaning and disinfection for households.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to select, wear, and clean your mask.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.N95 respirators, surgical masks, and face masks.

4 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Huang L, Xu S, Wang Z et al.Self-reporting and photothermally enhanced rapid bacterial killing on a laser-induced graphene mask.ACS Nano. 2020;14(9):12045-12053. doi:10.1021/acsnano.0c05330Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cleaning and disinfection for households.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to select, wear, and clean your mask.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.N95 respirators, surgical masks, and face masks.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Huang L, Xu S, Wang Z et al.Self-reporting and photothermally enhanced rapid bacterial killing on a laser-induced graphene mask.ACS Nano. 2020;14(9):12045-12053. doi:10.1021/acsnano.0c05330Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cleaning and disinfection for households.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to select, wear, and clean your mask.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.N95 respirators, surgical masks, and face masks.

Huang L, Xu S, Wang Z et al.Self-reporting and photothermally enhanced rapid bacterial killing on a laser-induced graphene mask.ACS Nano. 2020;14(9):12045-12053. doi:10.1021/acsnano.0c05330

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cleaning and disinfection for households.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to select, wear, and clean your mask.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration.N95 respirators, surgical masks, and face masks.

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