The Mask Matters: How Masks Affect Airflow, Protection Effectiveness

Even though it has been widely known that wearing a face mask will help mitigate the community spread of COVID-19, less is known regarding the specific effectiveness of masks in reducing the viral load in the respiratory tracts of those wearing them. In Physics of Fluids, researchers examined the effect of wearing a three-layer surgical mask on inspiratory airflows and the mask’s effects on the inhalation and deposition of ambient particles in the upper respiratory airways.

What’s That Growing on Your Face Mask?

Many people reuse masks and other face coverings many times without sanitizing them. That is likely because current sanitization methods can be cumbersome. A new device using a hanging rack and UV-C light can sterilize up to six masks and other items simultaneously and quickly, killing bacteria, yeasts, mold spores, and viruses. This device has shown its efficacy against pathogens including the highly-contagious E-coli, which was eradicated in about one minute.

Kelley School initiative sparks ideas from around world to address problems from coronavirus

Among the millions of Americans working from home, a group of Indiana University Kelley School of Business professors created a worldwide movement to seek solutions for problems arising from the novel coronavirus. Their “Idea Sprint Weekend Against COVID-19” initiative was organized in just three days and led to the development of several new social initiatives addressing issues related to the COVID-19 crisis, including a shortage of surgical masks, grocery stockouts, displaced workers and online educational challenges that students are facing across the country.