PLoS ONE • Vol 18 • No 10
Assessing the performance of regular surgical nose masks as a sampling method for SARS-CoV-2 detection in a cross-sectional study
October 2023 • Millicent Opoku, Elizabeth Obeng-Aboagye, Georgina Yaa Kwartemaa Boamah, Dina Adu-Asamoah, Rahmat bint Yusif Ismail, Margaret Sena Akpo, Elizabeth Et…
Nose masks are widely worn for protection against respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. They have been reported as possible substrates for viral sampling and testing for COVID-19 but, evaluations have so far been purposive; involving individuals known to have the infection and using improved materials on the nose masks to trap the virus. We investigated the feasibility of using the regular 3-ply surgical masks and, voluntary coughing as a mode of particle expulsion for detecting SARS-CoV-2 infections in a c…