Adherence of SARS-CoV-2 delta variant to surgical mask and N95 respirators

The use of facial protection, including masks and respirators, has been adopted globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These products have been demonstrated to be effective in reducing the transmission of the virus. To determine whether or not the virus adheres to masks and respirators, we dissected four respirators and one surgical mask into layers. These individual layers were contaminated with the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant, and its release by vortexing was performed. Samples were used to infect Vero cells, and a plaque assay was used to determine to evaluate the adherence of the virus. Results showed that a cumulative log reduction of the layers reduced the load of the virus six-folds. Our study confirms the effectiveness of facial protection in reducing the transmission and or infection of the virus.