UNSW: The use of cloth masks by healthcare workers may actually put
them at increased risk of respiratory illness and viral infections compared to medical masks, and
their global use should be discouraged, according to a UNSW study. The results of the first randomised clinical trial to study the efficacy of cloth masks were published today in the journal
BMJ Open. The study found respiratory infection was much higher among healthcare workers wearing cloth masks. The penetration of cloth masks by particles was almost 97% compared to medical masks with 44%.
