How COVID-19 is transmitted
The COVID-19 virus, sars-CoV-2, is primarily spread through respiratory droplets in the air. The risk of spread through surface contamination through fomites is low. Because of this, the primary method of prevention (other than vaccination) is through social distancing and wearing masks.
Masks create a barrier to keep the virus from getting in to the air where it can infect others. While the primary purpose of masking has been to prevent the spread of the virus, the data suggests that there is a benefit to the wearer – though its significance is not yet clearly understood.
It makes sense that wearing a mask would help protect oneself from the disease given that there seems to be little risk of contracting the virus via surface transmission. While in many countries it is customary for a person who is experiencing symptoms of illness to wear a facial covering to prevent spreading their illness to others, wearing a mask as a protective has usually been practices more by medical professionals following a strict protocol. To the lay person, the mask in itself – without the protocol to go with it – would do little to protect one against surface contamination. It would only prevent one’s own respiratory droplets or aerosols from landing on surfaces that others may touch.
The low risk of spread via fomites may be connected to the effectiveness of mask-wearing as a preventative measure.
references
- Lewis, Dyani. `COVID-19 Rarely Spreads through Surfaces. So Why Are We Still Deep Cleaning?` Nature, 29 Jan. 2021, [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00251-4].
- Langmaid, Virgina. `Disinfecting Surfaces to Prevent Covid Often All for Show, CDC Advises.` CNN, 19 Apr. 2021, [https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/19/health/cdc-covid-guidelines-cleaning/index.html].
- Schimelpfening, Nancy. `The Simple Science Behind Why Masks Work.` Healthline, 4 Aug. 2020, [http://www.healthline.com/health-news/the-simple-science-behind-why-masks-work].