Researchers from the University of Hong Kong identified seasonal human coronaviruses, influenza viruses and rhinoviruses in exhaled breath and coughs of children and adults with acute respiratory illness. Their study published in Nature Medicine suggests that surgical face masks significantly reduce detection of influenza virus RNA in respiratory droplets and coronavirus RNA in aerosols, with a trend toward reduced detection of coronavirus RNA in respiratory droplets. Their results indicate that surgical face masks could prevent transmission of human coronaviruses and influenza viruses from symptomatic individuals.
