At a time when new variants of the Coronavirus were known to spread rapidly, a study by the American University of “Maryland” indicated that the mutant is more prevalent in the air, compared to the original strain of the virus, which first appeared in Wuhan, China, according to the Maryland University’s website .
The study showed that people infected with the alpha variant released 43 to 100 times more droplets containing the virus into the air compared to those infected with the original strain of the Coronavirus, while nasal swab tests revealed that patients with the new variant carried virus particles at a rate of 18 times more than the original strain.
The study confirmed that face masks reduce the possibility of receiving the virus circulating in the air by about 50 percent.
“Given the prevalence of variables in the air, ventilation and masks, in addition to vaccination, are all factors that can help reduce the increased risk,” said Dr. Don Melton, professor of environmental health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.
Professor Jennifer German, who participated in the study, also stressed that “the virus can be in the patient’s breath and exhalation, and the use of a face mask reduces the chance of it being inhaled by others.”
The study recommends a “multi-layered approach” to protect people in public jobs and enclosed spaces, including vaccinations, masks, ventilation, and UV air sterilization.
And last July, with the outbreak of both delta and alpha variables in a number of countries in the world, many countries, including the United States, again recommended the use of masks, social distancing, and other measures aimed at limiting the spread of the virus.
And health authorities in the United States announced that vaccinated Americans should put the muzzle again in high-risk indoor places. Israel also re-imposed the obligation to wear masks, only ten days after its abolition, due to the delta mutant at the time.
