Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Do physical measures such as hand ‐washing or wearing masks stop or slow down the spread of respiratory viruses? What are respiratory viruses? Respiratory viruses are viruses that infect the cells in your airways: nose, throat, and lungs. These infections can cause serious problems and affect normal breathing. They can cause flu (influenza), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and COVID‐19. How do respiratory viruses spread? People infected with a respiratory virus spread virus particles into the air when they cough or sneeze. Other people become infected if they come into contact with these virus particles in th e air or on surfaces on which they have landed. Respiratory viruses can spread quickly through a community, through populations and countries (causing epidemics), and around the world (causing pandemics). How can we stop the spread of respiratory viruses? Physical measures to try to stop respirato ry viruses spreading between people include: · washing hands often; · not touching your eyes, nose, or mouth; · sneezing or coughing into your elbow; · wiping surfaces with disinfectant; · wearing masks, eye protection, gloves, and protective gowns; · avoiding contact with other people (isolation or quarantine); · keeping a certain distance away from other people (distancing); and · examining people entering a country for signs of infection (screening). Why we did this Cochrane Review We wanted to find out whether physical measures stop or slow the spread ...
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news