Prevention in Germany – is a mouthguard effective at all?

The corona viruses spread worldwide. China has instructed more than 110 million people to wear face masks. In Europe too, more and more people are equipping themselves with it. But what do the masks bring?

The fear of being infected with the coronavirus increases the demand for respirators. At the drugstore chain dm, they are out of stock in some locations. Pharmacies also report delivery bottlenecks. Covering the mouth and nose really offers protection from the novel virus? And what precautionary measures should people in Germany now take?

Does a mouthguard protect against the corona virus?

In hospitals and nursing homes, medical personnel use masks to protect patients from possible germs. However, hygiene experts do not consider it proven that a face mask also has a protective function outside of these facilities. About the effectiveness during one pandemic there is also insufficient data.

The virologist Prof. Dr. Melanie Brinkmann does not currently think that wearing a face mask is necessary. That would only create panic among the population. “The influenza virus is, at least at the moment for us in Germany, a much bigger problem than the new corona virus. Furthermore, it is still unclear how the new virus is transmitted – by a droplet infection or perhaps also by a smear infection,” says Brinkmann, who addresses each other dedicated to infection research at the Technical University of Braunschweig.

The face mask is useful if a patient has already been infected with the pathogen or at least is suspected. Then a mouthguard can help reduce the risk of transmission to other people, says the virologist. It is more important to observe the usual hygiene measures such as regular hand washing.

Nevertheless, wearing a face mask also has a positive effect according to experts: the mask can influence your own hygiene behavior and protect against a possible smear infection. Because the shielding of the nose and mouth ensures that it is not so easy to touch your face with dirty hands.

Who should use respirators?

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and also the World Health Organization (WHO) do not provide respiratory masks for the general population in their pandemic plans. According to the WHO, the masks are not recommended as a prevention for healthy people, but for patients and people who may have been infected so that they do not spread the virus. In suspicious cases, medical personnel in particular should wear a mask to protect themselves from droplet infections.

What protective measures are also recommended?

To protect against virus recommend the WHO and that RKI above all, strict hand hygiene. Infectious diseases are most often transmitted through our hands. Regular, thorough hand washing with soap and water protects. What many do not know: The hands should be cleaned for at least 30 seconds so that pathogens are rendered harmless.

Ideally, wash your hands as follows: Wet your hands, distribute soap for 30 seconds – also between your fingers and under your fingernails – then rinse and dry well.

Other important hygiene rules of the RKI:

• When coughing or sneezing, keep away from other people and turn away.
• Avoid physical contact with people who show fever, cough, and other flu-like symptoms.
• If you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical help early.

“In view of the flu, these measures are advisable everywhere and at any time,” writes the institute.

Experts also advise against a flu shot. This not only immunizes against flu. So there can be no confusion with the lung disease.

Hand disinfection: It is an important measure against the spread of pathogens. (Source: AndreyPopov / Getty Images)

What do disinfectants bring to the hands?

Hand disinfection is an important measure to curb the spread of pathogens. But not every remedy works against every pathogen. For example, “virucidal” disinfectants can render most of the viruses harmless – for example in the case of norovirus infections. According to the RKI, the “limited virucidal” products only work against so-called enveloped viruses. This also includes corona viruses.

The WHO recommends two formulations of disinfectants that have already shown an effect against SARS and MERS pathogens. The new corona virus related to these “should also be able to be inactivated with tested and approved disinfectants”, says Prof. Dr. Eike Steinmann, Head of the Molecular and Medical Virology Department at the Ruhr University Bochum. So far, there have been no studies on the new corona virus, but in a few weeks the virologist and his colleagues will be testing in the laboratory how disinfectants work on corona viruses.

Disinfectants from drugstores and supermarkets are often not medicinal products and are therefore not recommended for protection against coronaviruses, said Steinmann. For hand disinfection, you should therefore use certified disinfectants, for example from the pharmacy. The statement “limited virucidal” is very important.

According to the virologist, the most effective everyday measure to protect yourself against the corona virus is regular hand washing.

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