Respiratory virus shedding in exhaled breath and efficacy of face masks

We identified seasonal human coronaviruses, influenza viruses and rhinoviruses in the exhaled breath and coughs of children and adults with acute respiratory illness. Surgical face masks significantly reduced detection of influenza virus RNA in respiratory droplets and coronavirus RNA in aerosols, with a marginally significant reduction in coronavirus RNA in respiratory droplets. Our results indicate that surgical facemasks could prevent transmission of human coronaviruses and influenza viruses from symptomatic individuals.本研究在罹患急性呼吸道疾病的儿童及成人的呼出气与咳嗽样本中，检出了季节性人类冠状病毒（seasonal human coronaviruses）、流感病毒（influenza viruses）与鼻病毒（rhinoviruses）。外科口罩可显著降低呼吸道飞沫中流感病毒核糖核酸（RNA）以及气溶胶中冠状病毒核糖核酸的检出率，且对呼吸道飞沫中冠状病毒核糖核酸的检出率存在边际显著的降低效果。本研究结果表明，外科口罩能够阻断有症状个体传播人类冠状病毒与流感病毒的途径。