According to a new study by the German Max Planck Institute, only one type of protective mask offers almost impenetrable protection against coronavirus infection, namely FFP2 type masks (also known as H95, KN95 or P2 in different parts of the world).

These masks offer a high degree of protection against infection with the virus, provided they are worn properly, say the scientists who conducted it. the study.

"If an infected and a healthy person meet indoors and at a short distance, the chance of transmitting the infection, even after 20 minutes, is only 0,1 percent or one per mille," the institute said in a study. dynamics and organization in the German city of G Геttingen.

A condition for this high degree of protection is the correct placement of the mask, especially the part of the tip of the nose that must be well secured, is stated in the study, published in the scientific journal "Proceedings" of the American Academy of Sciences. Improper wearing of the mask increases the risk of infection by about four percent.

"The chance of infection in real life is ten to a hundred times lower, but we have created the most unfavorable conditions when it comes to protection." says one of the heads of the research, Eberhard Bodenshac.

In contrast, a meeting of two unmasked people, one of whom is infected, is likely to result in an infection in a healthy person, scientists say.

"In this case, a healthy person who is three meters away from the infected person and inhales air from the infected person for a few minutes will probably be infected," Bodensac said.

Hence, it is considered wearing masks is still a very good way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, conclude German scientists.