Filter Masks during the Second Phase of SARS-CoV-2: Study on Population

Abstract

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the most common countermeasure are the use of masks, which are supposed to filter inhaled and exhaled air to reduce the spread of the virus. The masks, which are medical devices, must be used by providing appropriate instructions for correct use. This study, which examined the population during the advanced stage of the pandemic, highlighted a substantial improvement in the management and choice of masks, even though the information disseminated to the population probably should be even more detailed and precise in order to avoid incorrect behavior that could compromise the effectiveness of these devices; in fact a high percentage of subjects had behaviors that can facilitate the spread of the virus, such as the continuous attempts to correct the incorrect positioning of the mask on the face or the need to move it because it is annoying.