15 Types of Cloth Masks Can Defend Against Virus: FDA|不織布.活性碳.防PM2.5口罩 可阻飛沫傳染

The Food and Drug Administration recently found that the cloth masks used to prevent PM2.5 from entering the lungs can function similarly when it comes to defending against droplet infection. However, it stills calls on the public to wear surgical masks when entering hospitals.


People have formed a long line in front of a drug store to purchase surgical masks. The ongoing COVID-19 epidemic has driven up demand for the masks which caused an island-wide shortage. The Food and Drug Administration recently inspected 47 types of non-woven fabric masks, activated carbon masks, and masks designed to prevent PM2.5 from entering the lungs. They discovered that 15 of the 47 types of masks are 80 percent effective when it comes to defending against the spread of the virus.

If a mask claims that it can defend against PM2.5, against dust mites or other harmful matters found in polluted air, the mask can defend against the spread of virus to a certain degree.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that the main purpose of wearing surgical masks is to prevent against droplet infection. Therefore, wearing cloth masks in enclosed spaces where large crowds congregate would have the same benefit. And cloth masks can stand repeated use after washing. However, some members of the public have relied on home-made cloth masks, and the effect of those masks is unknown when it comes to defending against the spread of the virus as the type of fabric used is unknown.

Because each type of cloth has its own characteristics, and we don't know the specific types of cloth that are used in home-made masks. Therefore I can't tell whether home-made masks would function the same way when it comes to preventing droplet infections.

The Food and Drug Administration did not reveal the manufacturers or models of the 15 types of masks that were found to be effective in preventing droplet infections. There are hundreds of cloth mask models on sale in Taiwan, and unlike surgical masks, there are no policies to regulate how they are tested. Thus these manufacturers are bound by law to not claim any benefit such as effectiveness in defending against virtual infections. As the consumers also cannot tell which type of masks can help defend against droplet infection, thus The FDA has advised the public to still wear surgical masks when entering hospitals or clinics.



藥局前長長人龍，都是為了排隊要買醫療口罩，疫情延燒，全台都鬧口罩荒，但其實除了選擇醫療用口罩外，衛福部食藥署抽驗市面上47件有不織布、活性碳功能或防PM2.5效果的口罩進行檢測，發現其中有15件布口罩細菌防護效果可高達八成以上。

食藥署研檢組科長 黃守潔表示：「它如果有宣稱它可以防PM2.5，或是有防螨的效果，或者是防空汙，或者是它的中間，有一些過濾層的效果的話，它就會有一些細菌過濾的效果。」

食藥署表示，戴口罩主要是要抵擋飛沫傳染，因此在人群擁擠的環境或搭大眾交通運輸，戴布口罩也同樣會有效果，而且還能夠重複清洗使用，但是近來許多民眾會自製布口罩或做口罩套，因為材質來源不清楚，所以無法確定能否有相同效果。

食藥署研檢組 科長 黃守潔表示：「因為每一種布，有它自己的一些性質在，那民眾他所用的布口罩的材質，到底是什麼其實我也不知道，所以我沒有辦法回答說，民眾使用的這個是不是有效果。」

至於檢測的15件具有細菌防護效果的布口罩、食藥署沒公布廠商。由於市售的一般布口罩百百種，並沒有像醫療用口罩有相關檢測規範，而且依法不可宣稱有過濾細菌效果，廠商如果標榜防空汙、或活性碳功能，其實消費者也無法分辨，疾管署則建議，民眾在醫療院所仍需配戴醫療用口罩。