Do medical surgical masks protect against viruses?

Medical surgical masks are somewhat effective in preventing viral infections when used within the expiration date, but may not be effective if used for longer than the expiration date or worn inaccurately. When medical surgical masks are used within the validity period and worn for a cumulative time of no more than 8 hours, they have some antiviral effect. Medical surgical masks are mainly made of non-woven fabrics, which are mainly composed of chemical fibers. This material has a high filtration efficiency, can be the air in the vast majority of bacteria, viruses for filtration, to a certain extent can prevent the virus invasion of the human body. However, when a medical surgical mask is worn for more than 4 hours and has not been replaced, the protective layer of the mask may become clogged with particles, resulting in a decrease in the filtration efficiency of the mask, and thus a decrease in the anti-virus function. When wearing a medical surgical mask, it is recommended that the mask be replaced when the wearing time reaches 4 hours, and the wearer should wear the mask correctly and try to increase the closeness of the mask to the face, so as to improve the antiviral effect.